Free as a Bird, Well Almost
by DreamsInColor8
Summary: Married against her will, Steph feels trapped. Her only option for freedom? Running. It's her friends that have the hardest time. Well, one in particular. When he takes a break from the search will that lead him to her? Or a picture of perfection?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back? Haha, well, after my absence I finally have decided to post again...not sure if it's a mistake yet or not. Over the months I've been gone, I've been writing. It's been for FF but I haven't posted. So, posting this, I'm not sure if I'm crazy. Anyways, it's just another wacko story I've concocted. Who knows when I'll post or how long my posts will be. As always, hang with me, and you shall be rewarded with an...ENDING! :) Now, forward to the good part. Hint hint(the actual story.)**

_Disclaimer: As always, not mine. Just borrowing the characters for fun. _

**And, so we begin. Enjoy!  
**

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Prologue

"What do you mean we're married!" I scream at Ranger who has his blank face firmly in place.

"It was done last night," he says very calmly. I'm in full blown rhino mode by that comment.

"I was unconscious last night!" I yell. I couldn't believe he did this to me. He took away all of my options.

"I know a guy," Ranger reveals. Of course he does. "I don't want to be married to you!" Tears are streaming down my face. The man who has always encouraged me to fly has just clipped my wings.

"I'm sorry Babe," he replies. I close my eyes and try to calm myself. I hear him get up. He pauses at the door. Without opening my eyes I whisper. "I'll never forgive you." I know he hears me from the sigh that leaves his lips.

Chapter 1

Over the next several months I see less of Ranger than I have before we got 'married'. He has gone to Miami to fix some 'problems' aka he's just too chicken shit to face me. He has given me free reign over his whole bank account. His whole closet on seven is bursting with expensive shoes I never plan to wear. Each week I take small chunks of money out of his account, storing it in a safe place. I am going to get away and I'm not going to look back. He turned his back on me the moment he decided to marry me without my consent. I was pissed off to say the least, and I'm curious to know how he had it done. I have already filed for divorce and we are currently separated. I'm not sure why he still lets me use his bank, not that I'm complaining. The guys are happy that I've finally taken an interest to get in shape and learn all the things they have wanted to teach me since I began working here. I am only doing it so I will have the necessary tools to escape easily. Nobody knows of my plan. They won't know until I am gone. I have bought a car under a disguise with some of the cash I have saved up. I parked it in a safe place, and I have stocked up items and made other arrangements. It's just a matter of time before I leave. I feel slightly bad because I will be leaving the friends I had made at RangeMan. Lester being one of my closest friends is the hardest to leave, but I have to. Ranger thought he was protecting me by marrying me against my will. He will see his mistake. It's now the day when I am putting my plan into action. I grab some envelopes off the counter and take out paper and a pen. Then I write five letters. I explain to everyone what I am doing and why.

Letter one:

_Ranger,_

_ I hope you realize what a mistake you made. Believe me this wouldn't be happening if I didn't have to do it. You were the first person to believe in me and the person I trusted the most. You let me down. I want you to know that I'll never forgive you. I couldn't believe you would do this to me. If there was one thing I never expected, it was this. I try and hate you but it doesn't work. I don't trust you, but I could never hate you, as much as I try. Don't worry about me, the guys trained me well. And, don't go all macho on them, you wanted me trained, didn't you? Well, you got your wish. I can protect myself now and that's what I'm doing. Don't look for me because you won't find me. _

_ Stephanie_

Letter two:_  
_

_ Lester,_

_ Don't hate me, please. Understand that I need to do this. Nothing you could have done would have stopped this, so please don't blame yourself. You're one of the best friends I've ever had and it pains me to do this. But, if I don't, I'll go crazy. It's not your fault. Blame Ranger even if he thought he was doing the right thing. I shouldn't put all the blame on him because I'm the one making the decision to leave. You guys have taught me well, so don't worry. I'll contact you when I can, but please don't look for me. Please Les, let me do this. _

_ Love from,_

_ Steph_

Letter three:_  
_

_ Guys,_

_ I know you guys will be angry at me, but don't. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me in the past months. You have all taught me handy skills which I learned to help escape. None of you are to blame, no one knew about my plan. I hate doing this but I need to. Ranger took something from me and I have to get it back. I love you all and I beg you not to look for me. I will write, I promise, I just don't know when. Please guys, respect my wishes. You taught me well. _

_ Love, _

_ Steph _

Letter four:_  
_

_ Mom, Dad and Grandma,_

_ I know you will worry, but don't. Mother, now I can no longer embarrass you. I will never be the daughter you want. No matter how hard you push, I'll never be a Burg wife. So, just look to Valerie for that. Daddy, I know you never really talked but you always supported me. I love you and please don't look for me. Grandma, keep wearing that spandex and I'm sure you'll hook a real looker. I love you and I want you to know that I'll be fine. I'll send letters. _

_ Love you all,_

_ Steph_

_ Lula, Mary Lou, and Connie,_

_ You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for. I'm sorry for what this will put you through, but know I'm not truly happy here. I have to get away. I know that you might not understand, but know you'll be in my thoughts. You go girls! Spread those wings and learn to fly. I'll send letters when I have time. _

_ Much love,_

_ Steph_

After I reread the letters and am satisfied I tuck them into the envelopes. I write names on each one. I then lay them on the counter. I write a quick note for Ella explaining everything except for how I am doing everything and asking her not to tell the guys. I buzz Ella telling her that I will be out for dinner and there is no need for her to come up until breakfast. She says that will be fine. I place the keys on the counter and grab my bag. I lock the door and go down to the control room. I get smiling faces and am glad I have been in drama club in high school.

"Hey Steph," they greet, glad for the distraction. I grin at them.

"Hey guys, I just stopped in before going to the mall," I tell them. They nod. "Les at his cubicle?" They nod again and I go to see him. He turns around before I can surprise him.

"Hi Beautiful," he greets with a grin. I smile back.

"Whatcha up to?" I ask him. He makes a face before answering. "Doing some searches." I grin at his response. I place a hand on his.

"I'm going shopping," I tell him realizing this might be the last time I will ever see him. He sticks out his tongue.

"Victoria Secret shopping? If, you are, I wouldn't mind coming to see you model," he jokes with a wink. He then adds, "Have fun and be safe." "I will." With those final words I head off to the unknown. I get into my RangeMan issued vehicle and head toward the mall where my plan will be executed. I go to one of the many hair shops in the mall. One where it connects to another. I can't go to Mr. Alexander for this, but I do leave my purse under a chair in his shop. I then go to another while making sure to stay out of sight of the cameras. I get a major hair cut and hair coloring. I now have a much darker brown hair color and a Victoria Beckham type cut that is shorter in the back and longer in the front. It also has been straightened. I smile at myself in the mirror, almost not recognizing myself. I then exit and head over to Kohl's for some new clothes. I get some skinny jeans and a tight shirt showing that the exercise I had been doing worked. I have some dark blue flats. I grab a motorcycle jacket and buy the ensemble. I then find a dressing room and change quickly. I stuff my old clothes in the bag and throw them away. I then make my way out of the mall so I won't be recognized from the camera's. I make my way through the parking lot and get into the car I had bought months ago under a fake name. It's a red Taurus with a suitcase full of clothes and necessities in the back. I jump in and grab some shades from the cup holder. I slide them on and I start the car that will lead me to my new life. I feel a little sad about leaving my old life but am mostly excited about the journey I'm about to make. I get on the open road and put the radio on. I belt tunes out as I take the scenic route toward a fresh start.

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**A/N: So, just another crazy idea or a great start? Let me know with a click of the review button! :) Any mistakes? Well, review or PM me about them, because I do my own editing.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to all who reviewed! I apologize for not replying to all of them. I was working on improving this chapter. :) I'm glad you guys like it. The reason why Ranger married her will be revealed. So, read on. :)**

_Disclaimer: I don't own these wonderful characters. They belong to JE. _

**Enjoy!**_

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_Chapter 2_  
_

_Back at RangeMan_

**Ella's POV**

Steph told me not to come for dinner but I thought I would wash her sheets. I walk into the bedroom and gather them up. I go to the kitchen to grab the place mats when I see the envelopes. I see the names on them and my eyes finally rest on the unsealed note with my name at the top.

_Ella, _

_ You are like a mother to me, more so even then my own. I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me. I know you don't approve of what Ranger did, and you've always known how I've felt about it. I feel bad for doing this, but I have to get away. What Ranger did wasn't right and I'm going on for my own life. I hope you can understand. And, I know I shouldn't ask, but would you keep this quiet? Don't tell the guys until breakfast tomorrow. Please, I'll write every so often. I know they won't be happy, but please Ella, keep my secret. I'm really going to miss your cooking, but maybe while I'm away I'll find something I'm passionate about. _

_ Love always from your adopted daughter,_

_ Stephanie_

Her note makes me want to cry, but I know I will keep her secret. What Ricardo did wasn't right, even if he thought it was, and I know Steph will be fine. She's a strong woman and nothing will stop her. I'm just sorry it has to be like this, when she will hurt many of her close friends. I shut my eyes and hug the letter to my chest.

"Heavenly Father, I pray that you will watch over Stephanie while she is gone, but I hope you lead her home," I pray aloud. I fold up the note and place it in my pocket. I leave the place mats and leave with the sheets. I can simply say I didn't even look into the kitchen.

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**Lester's POV**

It's seven in the morning and I walk down to the control room. I have just gotten a page, even though it's my day off. They report that Steph's car is still at the mall. I curse the idiots for not thinking it was peculiar sooner. Something must be wrong, so I head to check it out. I find her car empty. I head into the mall and follow the beep that says where Steph should be. It's inside Mr. Alexander's. The salon isn't open yet so I peer into the darkened room. There's no one that I can see in there. I'll send one of the guys to check it out once it opens. I head back to RangeMan and hope that she wasn't kidnapped again. Tank's in the control room looking quite somber. Oh shit, I think, Steph's gone or...worse.

"Santos, control room, now," he orders and I don't dare disobey. I head there quickly and see the core team. I take a seat and as soon as I do my knee's bobbing at a hundred miles per hour. Tank came in a moment later carrying a couple envelopes. He slides one to me and I see that it has my name written on it with Steph's handwriting. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before sliding it open. As I read the note I don't breathe. When I get to the bottom I'm ready to beat the shit out of someone.

"Dammit!" I yell, jumping up and throwing the letter down. I am shaking with rage and sadness. I feel my eyes fill with tears. I can't believe she is doing this to me. And, fucking army men don't cry! I turn my back to the guys. That's when I hear Tank gather everyone inside.

"Guys, I know you will be angry with me, but don't. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me in the past months. You have all taught me handy skills which I learned to help escape. None of you are to blame, no one knew about my plan. I hate doing this but I need to. Ranger took something from me and I have to get it back. I love you all and I beg you not to look for me. I will write, I promise, I just don't know when. Please guys, respect my wishes. You taught me well. Love,

Steph," I hear Tank read. The mood in the room changes suddenly.

"Fuck Ranger! Stupid arse!" I listen Cal curse in his accent.

"What's going on here?" A voice comes from the doorway. A voice that I know well. I lunge at him before anyone can stop me.

"You bastard! You idiot!" I start punching him. I get a couple in before I am pulled off. I am breathing heavily by the end. I am trying to control my emotions but it isn't working well. I see Ric pick himself up and look at me with a glare. "What the hell was that about?"

"Ric, go to your office," Tank's booming voice orders. Ric raises an eyebrow.

"Since when do you order the boss around?" He asks in a voice of authority, but Tank isn't playing that game.

"Do it man, don't make me force you," Tank all but growls. Ric is smart enough to listen this time.

"I expect a full report," he says, trying to regain control before walking towards his office. I grab my letter off the table and head down to my apartment to change into some gym clothes.

* * *

**Ranger's POV**

I come back from Miami as a surprise and I get punched in the face. By my cousin. What the hell happened while I was gone? And where is Stephanie? She wasn't on seven when I got here. I storm into my office wondering when Tank started ordering me around. I pace as I wait for Tank to get in here and explain himself. He opens the door and tosses me a letter. I raise an eyebrow meaning, 'what the hell is this?'

"Read it." With that I tear the envelope open and see it's a letter from my Babe. As I read I dropped down to my chair. I feel my heart shatter into a thousand little pieces. I was just trying to protect her. I close my eyes and allow a sigh to escape. When I open them I am met with Tank's fist. I don't even try and fight because I know I deserve it.

"Santos was right, you are an idiot," he says shaking his head. "We have to find her, but maybe it's better if you go back to Miami."

"No." I'm back in control. I have to set this straight.

"Why did you even marry her RangeMan?" Tank asks. Direct and to the point. I sigh.

"You know how she got kidnapped and almost brutally tortured because an old enemy of mine came back?" Tank nods, a sign for my continuation.

"Well, it scared the shit out of me. I love her and I almost failed her. I realized that if I married her not a lot of people would dare touch her. She'd be mine for once and for all." Tank snorts, something I'm sure he picked up from Steph.

"You knew how she felt about marriage! And, how she hates being trapped. You really fucked up," he tells me. Like I don't already know.

"Why's Les going so apeshit about this?" Tank just looks at me.

"Oh, I forgot that you pretty much dropped out of all of our lives after you married her. Well, bossman, Les and bombshell got really close while you were gone." He shakes his head sadly.

"They'll never forgive you," Tank informs me. I clearly remember similar words spoken by my babe. Damn it all to hell!

"Steph wrote notes to pretty much everyone. I'm having some guys drop them off to her friends and family. The weird thing is, she says she'll write."

"We'll find her that way then," I say. "In the meantime I could use a drink." Tank just sighs and leaves.

* * *

**Les' POV**

After tiring myself out at the gym I went out to talk to everyone Steph is friends with. The first people I talk to are Lula and Connie. Lula's crying and Connie's got tears in her eyes. I hate when women cry. What am I supposed to do?

"We still have to tell Mary Lou," Lula sobs. "White girl...gooooone!" How can she do this to them?

"So, you don't know anything about her leaving?" I ask, just to make sure. They both shake their heads.

"We never suspected! She just up and left," Connie says. "Vinnie's gonna shit a brick when hears." I nod and thank them both. I then head to Mary Lou.

"She's gone?" It's the first words out of Mary Lou's mouth. I nod. She nods.

"You knew?" I ask. She shakes her head. "I hope she's okay."

"Me too. Do you have any idea where she would be?" I ask. Mary Lou sighs.

"I'd check her favorite spots, but my guess is those are too predictable. She won't go anywhere that she's talked about if she doesn't want to be found." I thank Mary Lou and head back to my car. Dammit Steph, did you tell anyone? I sigh and crank the car towards the Plum residence. I doubt they know anything, but I have to try. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for my encounter with Edna Mazur. I pull to a stop in front of the house and Mrs. Mazur is already at the door.

"Ellen, we gotta hottie out here! Maybe he has news on Steph!" She yells to her daughter. I take a deep breath and head up to porch. I'm ushered in and I ask them about Steph.

An hour later I'm exiting the house with no new information. They had no clue that she was leaving or where she might be going. I rub the back of my head and head to Haywood.

I reach my apartment and don't bother to turn the lights on. Who the hell needs to see? Not me, I decide. Damn woman got under my skin! Hell, I think, she got under everyone's skin. I understand why she left, but I can't help but wonder if I could have stopped this. In her note, she says there wasn't anything I could do. I just can't help but think that if I had hung out with her more, she would still be here. I grab one of the vases that Ella used to decorate the room with and threw it against the wall. How could she leave me like that? I thought she was getting over the whole 'I'm married to Ranger' thing. Hell, she filed for divorce. Of course that does take some time. Was it not enough? I rest my head against my bedroom door. Did she not care for me at all? I take a deep breath and punch the wall. I stand up and move into the kitchen. I grab my good alcohol from underneath the counter and decide I deserve a drink. I pour myself a glass. I slam it back like I would a shot. I feel the warm liquid run down my throat. Burning, just what I wanted. I tug off my shirt and take off my shoes. I'm tired from the long day. I grab the bottle and go into my bedroom. I take a swig and feel a little looser. I take of my pants and yank on some boxers. I see the picture of Steph and I covered in mud after chasing a skip and I put it face down. I take another drink of the bottle and feel all the more better. I know I should be concerned with the 'my body is a temple' thing, but that's Ranger's shtick. And, I'm sure as hell not Ranger. I feel like I've been run over by a truck. Namely Stephanie Plum. What can I say? She drives me to drink. I sit down on my bed and tilt the bottle back. Gulping some more down. I managed to finish the bottle before falling back and passing out on my bed.

I hear banging. What the hell? My eyelids don't want to open, but the pounding is getting louder. I try to sit up but throbbing in my head convinces me otherwise. I lay back down and take a deep breath. I shouldn't have drunken that whole bottle last night.

"Santos!" I hear Tank's voice yell. He comes through my apartment, opening the door to my room. Shit, I think, there goes dignity. He takes one look at the empty bottle on the floor and my eyes which are most likely bloodshot.

"Jesus, Santos! You think this is gonna help find her?" Tank booms. I wince as my head throbs.

"No, jeez, you don't have to yell. Get me a water and aspirin will you?" I ask not wanting the pain in my head to continue. Tank nods and goes to get what I asked for. He comes back a moment later and tosses me a water bottle. I catch it and he hands me the aspirin. I drink it down.

"Can you get your ass up? Or do you need a sick day?" Tank asks with a raised eyebrow. I roll my eyes and instantly wish I hadn't.

"I'm going to the gym to try and get this alcohol out of my system. Then I'll start work," I inform him. "No one else needs to know about this." He nods and leaves me to myself. I sigh. Damn it Beautiful, we can't just sit by and wait for a letter. I sit up and wait for the spinning in my head to stop. Once it does I grab some work out clothes. I then head to the gym.

I finish in the gym and I get a summons by Ric. I reach his office and he doesn't look happy. I head into his office and take a seat.

"You're angry." It was a statement not a question. I turn to look at him. As if to say, 'no shit sherlock'.

"Well," I start right in with the sarcasm. "Considering one of my best friends just took off because of something _you_ did, I say, why would I be angry?" I then glare at him for good measure.

"I know what I did was wrong, but-" I cut him off there.

"No buts. You weren't here when she fell apart. I held her while she cried. While she asked me what made you hate her. She figured you must hate her if you decided to put her through this." Ric laughs. A hollow laugh, unpleasant.

"Hate?" he asks pinching the bridge of his nose. "Never." His voice drops to a whisper.

"I could _never_ hate her." I sigh, unsure of why I'm really here.

"I know you tried to protect her, but man you knew how she would react." Ric leans against the desk, stretching his legs out.

"My closet's full of shoes." This time I laugh. I Laugh because she's always full of surprises.

"Bet she never wore any of them. How much they cost?"

"A pretty penny." I smile.

"I'll bet. It's not like you don't deserve it." He nods. I nod.

"I'll be going now." I leave without another word spoken.

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**So, some of the mystery revealed. :) Tell me whatcha think. Any mistakes? There probably are since I do my own editing. Feel free to tell me. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. :) Some things aren't very clear right now, but everything will be revealed in time. And as you read this, just remember that some men are just meant to be friends. ;) The B&B/restaurant I write about are fictional because I couldn't find a fitting one in the location I wanted.  
**

_Disclaimer: I only own the ones you don't recognize, otherwise the credit has to go to JE._

**Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3**  
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**Steph's POV**

I arrive on the coast of Maine, Bar Harbor to be exact. And, I see just how beautiful it is. A reason I picked this place is because of Les. He has spoken of having a house down here, and he always made it sound perfect. I also pick it because I have no ties here. No one will possibly look for me here. It's a calming sight. It only took a couple of days to get down here. I stop the car and get out. It's a little chilly with the breeze but overall it's nice. I take one more look before heading to the bed and breakfast that's a little ways down the road. I park and go to check in. I see the woman behind the desk and smile.

"Hello, can I help you?" she greets. I say the girl is about sixteen or seventeen.

"Hi, I'm looking for a room. I made some reservations the other day, but I'm planning on paying with cash. My name is Michelle Parker." The woman nods with understanding.

"That will be eighty-five dollars for room three," she informs me. I thank her and get the room key from her. Then an older woman appears with a smile on her face.

"Welcome Michelle, I'm glad to have you staying with us. My name is Maggie Reynolds, the owner. I'll show you to your room," she smiles at me. I get the feeling she knew something she wasn't telling me.

"You realize when you signed up for room three you would be sharing a bathroom with another room, correct?" she asks making sure I am alright with it. I nod, shifting my bag on my arm.

"Well, there's a young man in the connected room and if you don't feel comfortable staying there, then I'm sure we can make other arrangements," she informs me as we come to a stop in front of a door. She unlocks it with my key before giving it back to me.

"Well, here we are. If, you need anything come down and see me. Breakfast is served at eight thirty," she tells me with a smile. She starts for the door, but I stop her before she leaves.

"I'm looking to stay in the area permanently, and I was wondering if you knew if anyone was hiring?" Maggie looks at me with a smile.

"Actually dear, there's a restaurant connected to the B&B. One of our waitresses got married and moved. We're short handed, and we could use a replacement." I think about asking her something and then I hesitate.

"Yes dear?" she asks. I look up, a little shocked since I haven't said anything.

"When do you want me to start?" I ask her. I have set up everything before arriving here. I have documents that could pass any test. I'd be surprised if Ranger could get papers this good, actually he could probably get better. I can take in money and I can pay taxes like a normal citizen. I am lucky I know someone who knows someone, otherwise I wouldn't be doing as well as I am.

"Come down to see me at five," she tells me. I nod and go into my room to start unpacking. I close my door and sit down on the bed. I flop into my thinking position. I can't help but wonder about Les and the guys. Are they looking for me even though I asked them not to? Does Ranger know? I get up and open my suitcase. I grab my face wash and head toward the bathroom. It has been a long drive from New York. I had stopped there before deciding where I would end up. I open the door to the bathroom and jump back in shock to see a half naked man shaving. I let out a scream before clapping my hands over my eyes.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologize. "I am so so so so sorry." I hear a deep throaty chuckle and I take my hands off my eyes. I blush feeling really stupid.

"It's alright," a deep baritone greets. I take in the sight of a well sculpted bronze chest. His arm muscles rival some of the merry men. I make my way up to his face and see that he has only gotten to shave half of his face. He has deep warm brown eyes and thick dark brown wavy hair. He's mouthwatering.

"I'm Michelle," I say finishing my assessment. He too has been taking me in and is now looking straight at me.

"Eric," he replies with a smile on his lips.

"Sorry to barge in, I didn't know anyone was in here," I ramble. "You get back to shaving, I'll wait for you to finish." I back away and close the door. Holy hot flash! I'd have to remember to lock the door. But holy moly Batman! That man has muscles that make some of the Merry Men pale in comparison. And, he's yummy. My Hungarian hormones are on rampage after the long dry spell I've been on. I lay back down on the bed and start to drift off.

"I can't believe you!" I shout, bolting up. In front of me is a very surprised looking Eric.

"Michelle, are you okay?" he asks concerned. I am surprised that he doesn't think I'm crazy.

"Yeah, I just had a weird dream. Sorry about scaring you. What's up?" I ask realizing he's in my room and I didn't let him in.

"Well, I got done in the bathroom so I knocked on the door to tell you. I got no answer so I cracked the door open and saw you on the bed. I went to wake you and that's when you woke up," he explains looking slightly sheepish.

"Oh, well thanks. I have to go downstairs at five to start work," I tell him. He nods.

"Where are you working?" he asks and that's when I notice he has a shirt on. I'm slightly saddened by the observation.

"In the connected restaurant," I inform him. He nods and gives me a smile as blinding as Ranger's. He waves goodbye and heads back to his room. I quickly go to the bathroom, locking the door to his room. I glance in the mirror to see my hair is a tangled mess. I go to my suitcase and drag out a flat iron and brush. I wash my face and quickly do my hair. Once I finish my business, I head downstairs. Maggie is waiting at the desk with an apron and t-shirt. She smiles when she catches sight of me.

"Here dear." The shirt is dark blue and has fish swimming on it. On the back in bright yellow letters are the words, 'The Pond'. I smile at the name. Underneath in smaller letters it says 'the best seafood in Maine'.

"Go slip these on and meet me back down here," Maggie tells me. I nod and quickly go upstairs. I change and am back to Maggie in record time.

"Now, here we go. The restaurant closes at nine but the bar is open until one. You'll be on the floor. We usually open at noon and close at three to prepare for the dinner rush. Many people don't show up until five thirty but there are some regular early birds," Maggie informs me. I nod, showing that I'm following.

"Now I'm assigning you sections three and four. That's these tables," she tells me, pointing at ten tables. I wonder how I will be able to work all these.

"Here's a notepad and pencil. You have a fifteen minute break in two hours," she says cheerfully, happy to have a replacement. "You get off at nine." The first costumers start shuffling in. The early birds, I guess. Most are around their sixties and seventies is my estimation. A couple sit in one of my booths. I put a smile on my face and go to take their order.

"Hello, my name's St..Michelle, I'll be your waitress for this evening. Can I start you off with a drink?" I tell them, hoping I'm saying the right thing. Now that I think about it, Maggie didn't say anything about this part. The old man squints at me.

"What'd she say Marge?" He asks looking over at his wife.

"She said what do you want to drink!" his wife shouts at him. I look around to see if this is unusual. No one has batted an eye.

"Sweet tea," he tells me. "George, put on your glasses! You can't see a darn thing!" She reaches across and puts the glasses that were on top of his head, on correctly.

"That's better," he states. Marge turns to look at me.

"See what I have to deal with? Don't get married. I'll take unsweetened tea," she tells me. I nod, not sure what to make of them.

"I'll be right back." As I leave I hear George, "Bah! Unsweetened tea? What's the point?" I smile a bit. I get the drinks and bring them back quickly.

"Have you figured out what you'd like?" I ask, looking at the two of them.

"Speak up lassie!" George says. "Do you know what you want to eat?" I ask, my voice louder.

"Fish and chips. And Marge will take the smoked salmon." I put that down and tell them their order will be out shortly. I place the order and see someone else has taken a seat in my section.

I wait tables for two hours and I'm relieved when I get my break. I fill up a cup with water and sip it leisurely. I'm sitting at a corner booth in the back of the restaurant, taking in the flow, thinking about how I could get used to this. I close my eyes and take a breath. When I open them I see a smiling face looking at me.

"Eric," I say with a smile. He takes a seat across from me.

"Hey Michelle, you taking a break?" he asks, his eyes moving to my cup. I nod.

"Yep, have a few more minutes before I go back to work," I inform him. He nods.

"When do you get off?"

"At nine." He nods and seems to be contemplating something.

"Can I buy you a drink when you're finished?" he asks, seeming unsure of himself.

"Sounds great. What are you in the area for?" I wonder as I count the minutes I have left.

"I'm looking for a town house or permanent residence. I would stay with my folks but they drive me crazy," he tells me with a grin. I smile in return.

"I know what you mean. My parents drive me up the wall. And, my grandma lives with them. She's a hoot an a half."

"So, why are you here?" he questions. I take a deep breath. I see the clock and I have a minute before I have to get back to work.

"Long story. Maybe I'll tell you sometime." I look over at him with a smile. Maybe I'll be alright here, I think, this might actually work.

"See you later Eric." He nods in response.

I float through the rest of my shift. I'm thinking about all the people I left back home. I hope they understand. I hope Les is alright. He's the one I'm most worried about. We hung out practically everyday after Ranger 'married' me. I could never believe he just left after announcing it. He never even tried to explain. I always knew he love me in his own way, but I never thought he hated me. He must though, if he would make me marry him. He always understood my need to fly and he always helped me. I take a breath, I don't need to think about this.

"_The past is the past, don't look back,_" I whisper to myself as I see Maggie enter the restaurant.

"Michelle dear, how was it?" she asks with a smile. I smile in return, forgetting about my past for a little while.

"Fine. Same time tomorrow?" I ask. Her curly gray hair shaking as she nods her head.

"You look tired dear, why don't you go and get some rest?" she says with a sympathetic smile.

"I'm meeting someone at the bar soon," I tell her.

"Alright." She turns and walks off and I catch sight of Eric in my peripheral vision. I turn and face him. He smiling and his white teeth stand out against his dark skin. He offers his hand and I take it. He acted like such a gentleman. It was nice. We end up on bar stools talking over some drinks. I find out that Eric's a nice guy and has a great laugh. Only laughing makes me think of Les, who helped me through everything that had been going on. I miss him terribly, but I know I can't go back. At least not yet. I refocus on the present. The here and the now. The man in front of me tipping the glass to his lips. I take a deep breath. I look at the clock and notice it's almost eleven. We've been chatting for two hours. Well, time flies when you're...talking.

"Eric, I hate to be a party pooper, but I'm...pooped," I tell him with a smile. He nods in understanding.

"You had a long day," he acknowledges. "We should probably end this little shindig." I can't help but crack a smile at his words.

"Sounds good to me. I guess I'll see you around," I say, unsure of what I'm supposed to do.

"Let me pay this and I'll walk you to your room," he says.

"I'll pay for my half," I interject as he lays the money on the counter.

"My treat." I nod and mumble my thanks. We head inside the B&B. We walk up and he stops at my door.

"It was nice meeting you Michelle," he tells me.

"It was nice meeting you too Eric," I respond. "Goodnight Michelle."

"Night Eric." He then walks to his room. I head into mine and am too tired to change into pj's. I lay on the bed and the next thing I know I'm asleep.

* * *

**Don't panic. Non threat. If, you know what I mean. ;) Anyhoodle, review please! Tell me your thoughts, questions, etc. even the bad. :) Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I would have updated sooner but something with FF was all wonky and I couldn't. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. :) I have never been to Maine. I tried to research as best I could, but I don't know if there are town houses Ellsworth. I'm taking some creative liberties to make stuff fit in the story. I also have never been to Ohio, so I have no clue if what I described is even possible in the time she did it. Now, more of the story. **

_Disclaimer: I own none of the usual suspects. :)_

**Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4_  
_

"_Ranger won't stop me. He can't. You're just a play thing to him," the cold cruel voice taunts. _

_ "Please don't hurt me," I hear myself plead. He cackles evilly and suddenly the lights snap on. I blink so I can see clearly. He was standing behind a table and what I see makes my heart ache. _

_ "Rex!" He looks me in the eye and I can see the crazy. He'll do anything to get back at Ranger. _

_ "Don't hurt him," I beg. My voice drops lower, "please." _

_ "Let's see how you like watching your poor little Rex die while you sit helplessly. Then, I'll move on to you." When he turns I see the scar that I previously missed. A long, ragged gnarled looking gash on the side of his face. I struggle against the rope to try and help poor Rex. I fail. I see Ugly bring out a knife. I watch him swing it down but I shut my eyes for the finale. I hear a squeak. I let out a sob. Tears roll down my face after the final squeak of the little guy who's been there for me all the time, who never judged me. Dead and gone by the hands of the monster in front of me. He steps in front of the table, making his way closer to me with a knife still in his hand. He comes so close I can feel his hot breath against my skin. _

_ "Where's your protector now? Hiding in Miami?" he asks darkly. "I'll let him know I saw you." He raises the knife and I know that I'm not going to make it out alive. Ranger thought he could protect me by marrying me but he just put me in more danger. I close my eyes and say a soft prayer even though I haven't gone to church in years. I can almost feel the knife coming down, as though it's slow motion. Only when a gun shot rings out do I dare open my eyes. I see comprehension cross his face as he looks down and sees the blood seeping out of his chest. His eyes start to look glassy. He glares at me and I see what he's going to do. I'm helpless to stop it as his knife swings down. It gashes my leg as he falls over and takes his last breath. _

I bolt up in bed. My breathing is labored, and I can feel the sheen of sweat covering my body. The healed wound in my leg throbs as I dream about that horrible incident. Tears stream down my face as I recall my friend getting killed that night. I was only trying to move him to RangeMan. I clutch a pillow to my chest and try to calm my sobbing body. My mind wanders back to after he dies. _Les comes from behind and talks to me in a soothing voice. I remember the pain and relief that my friend has come to my side. He cuts the rope and my arms are around him._ My tears are still leaking out, but I try and control it. I feel sticky and dirty. I need a shower, I decide. I check the clock beside the bed and see it's around four in the morning. I shrug and get up. I could use a run anyways, might as well keep in shape. I pull on some running clothes and head downstairs. I clear my mind before taking off. I run down to the rocky beach area and start off. I don't know how long it's been but finally my breathing is labored and I'm ready to head back. When the B&B comes into view I start walking so I'm fully cooled off. I never thought I would see the day when I would be running on my own free will. I go quietly back into the B&B and smell pancakes cooking. I smile as think of my breakfast. I head upstairs and get into my room. I gather up some clothes and head to the bathroom. I make sure to lock the door and start the water. As I stand under the hot spray I feel better instantly. The last of my nightmare is washed down the drain with my sweat. After scrubbing myself clean I get out and get dressed. I do my hair and grab a book to pass the time. I lay in bed and as I read I find I can't keep my eyes open. I put the book down. Just a little nap, I think, as I drift off into dreamland.

Knocking on the door causes me to jerk awake. I yawn and get up to answer the door. I open the door wide, about to yell at one of the guys for waking me this early in the morning. It turns out it's just Maggie and everything comes flooding back.

"Michelle dear, I thought you'd like to know breakfast will be ready in a few minutes." My stomach grumbles and she chuckles.

"Thanks, I was reading and I must have fallen asleep. I'll be right down," I tell her with my own smile. Maggie's so nice and she reminds me of Ella. I comb through my hair with my fingers before heading down. I see the table is all set and my mouth starts watering instantly. I close my eyes and inhale. I'm pretty sure I moaned, but I can't say for sure.

A month and thirty homemade breakfasts later, I'm getting ready to move into a town house with Eric. Living at the B&B is nice but it is seriously depleting my funds. Sharing the town house with Eric would be easier on both of us. I still work at 'The Pond' but it's not the best income. I had just finished packing up my suitcase when Eric knocked on the door.

"You ready to go Chelle?" he asks using his nickname for me. I remember how only a couple weeks ago he had come to me asking my advice on dating this guy he knew.

_ A timid knock at the door gets me up from my bed and I answer to see who it is. Eric's standing there looking kind of nervous. _

_ "Hey Eric, what's up?" I ask. _

_ "Can I talk to you?" he wonders with his hands in his pockets. I nod and let him inside. He sits on my bed. _

_ "There's something I haven't told you about myself. I'm...well, I'm gay," he says looking straight into my eyes. My eyes widen. This fine piece of man...gay? Whoa. No wonder he hadn't tried hitting on me, guess that makes me feel better. _

_ "Okay?" I say unsure of why he was telling me about this. "Are you trying to tell me that we need to go shopping?" I might have been a little excited about the prospect even if this guy didn't send out the gay vibes. He smiles. _

_ "Not exactly, of course I wouldn't be opposed to it." I grin. _

_ "So, why are you here then? I'm not exactly the expert on this stuff...I mean the only other guy I know who's gay is a cross-dresser named Sally Sweet." His eyes widen. _

_ "You know him?" Someone's getting a little too excited. _

_ "Yeah," I shrug nonchalantly. "Is that a big deal?" He shakes his head._

_ "That guy's sort of a legend." He stares off dreamily. He snaps himself out of it._

_ "What I need your help with is for a date. I haven't been on one with a guy...in forever. I'm nervous and I have no fucking clue what to wear." I smile. _

_ "I'll help!" _

I turn and survey the room to make sure I have everything I need. I turn to Eric.

"Yep." He takes my suitcase like the nice guy he is and we head out. Maggie's waiting at the door for us. She wraps me in a hug.

"Goodbye Michelle, I really enjoyed you staying here," she says with a sad smile.

"I did too. Maybe you can give me more cooking lessons sometime," I suggest. "I'll see you Monday when I come in for work." She nods and I walk to my car, following Eric to our house. It's two stories and it's at the end of the row and it's fake shutters are a pretty blue. It's a cream color and it looks good. We park in the drive way and make our way up the steps with our luggage. The layout is nice and open, the kitchen is bigger than my old one. There is a bathroom down the hall from what I'd guess we would call the main room. There are stairs to the right of the kitchen. We make our way up and there is a hallway. Four doors line the walls. We open the first one and see a closet. The next one we come to is a bathroom which is on opposite side as the rest of doors. We get down to the last two and each open a door. The room is already furnished just like the rest of the house. It's a queen size bed with a dresser up against the wall across from the bed. Next to the bed on the right is a large window and across from the window is a small closet.

"You okay with your room?" I hear Eric ask.

"Yeah, unless you'd like it," I reply, setting my suitcase down. I peek into his room and see it's pretty much the same as mine.

"Nah, I'm okay. The rooms are pretty much the same anyways," he says. Instead of having a coastal view we are more inland and in the city called Ellsworth.

"We should go get some groceries so we have some food," he tells me. I nod.

"I have some things I have to do. I know I'll be back before Monday, but it might be an overnight trip," I inform him. "I'll write a list of things, and I'll pay you back when I get back." His brow scrunches as he thinks about what I will be doing.

"Alright, but if you don't show up for work on Monday, I'm calling the cops," he says very serious. I salute. I grab a pen and a piece of paper to write down things I need. I look over at him.

"You don't have a problem with getting my lady products, do you?" I ask. He shakes his head and looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Just put them on the list, fruitcake," he replies. I look at him.

"What did you just call me?" I ask trying not to burst out laughing.

"Fruitcake. I'm trying to think of a nickname for you other than Chelle." I roll my eyes.

"Good lucky with that _honey_," I tell him. He just grins. I pack a bag with a change of clothes.

"You be careful," he warns. I nod and salute. He raises an eyebrow. "You don't have to be a smart ass about it Chelley Bean." I snort.

"Chelley Bean?" I ask. "That's actually pretty good honey bun." He laughs that wonderful laugh.

"Do you like honey?" I nod. "Let me add it to the list." He just rolls his eyes.

"Here you go. I'll see ya later honey bunny," I tell him with my hand on the door knob.

"Buh-bye Chelley Bean," he calls as I head out the door. I get in my car and head for the airport. I get to the closest one and check the flights. There's one going to Ohio in an hour. I buy the tickets and go through security. As I go through the airport I pick one of the restaurants and eat lunch. The next thing I know I'm being ushered onto the plane. I fall asleep on the ride and I wake up to hear the flight attendants telling people to return to their regular positions and put up the trays. I sit my chair up get ready for the landing.

Once we land I get off the plane as quickly as possible. I hit the bathroom before heading out to catch a cab. My stomach grumbles, so I ask to go to the nearest mall. I lean back and close my eyes for the ride. I can't believe I was just in Maine a few hours ago. I listen to the rumble of the cab.

"Miss, we're here," the guy says. My eyes open and I nod.

"Will you wait for me and come back in a hour and a half?" I ask him. He looks at the money I've just given him and he nods.

"Thanks," I say. I get out of the cab and look at my shopping choices. I see the red target sign and decide that's a good place to get everything I need. I head inside and go find the writing section. I buy a pack of unlined paper, a pen, and some envelopes. Once I pay for them I head to the food court area. I get a hot dog with a drink and sit down in the corner. I take out the paper and start writing the letters I promised to send. The first one is to Les.

_Dear Les,_

_ I hope you are well. I'm fine and I hope you guys aren't looking for me. I'm happy for the first time since waking up married to Ranger. I think about you often and my heart aches, but I'm looking for something Les. I hope I find it before you guys find me. Out of all the guys I miss, I miss you the most. I miss the way we laughed together and the way you helped me get over Ranger. I hope you understand that this had nothing to do with you. You're my best friend and I hope you'll forgive me when it's all said and done. _

_ Love, _

_ Steph_

The second letter I write is to Lula and Connie.

_Hey girls,_

_ Lula, I hope you took over my job, since I can't be there to do it. Connie, you better still be keeping Vinnie's nasty ass in line as much as you can. I miss you both and I wish you well. I'm having a good time where I am. It's very peaceful and I even have a roommate. I'm sure you'd both love him. He's built like a Merry Man but eats like a human. Have fun catching those skips and Lula, maybe you should ask Tank to go with you. _

_ Much love,_

_ Steph_

The third letter I write is to Mary Lou.

_ Lou,_

_ I hope you, Lenny, and the boys are great. I'm fine. I'm happy. I know what I did was wrong, but I had to get out of there. Even though Ranger went to Miami, everywhere I turned people looked at me like I was a disease. I heard the rumor that I couldn't keep a man and that I need a man to protect me. I should have ignored it, but when my mother said it... I just felt useless. I hope you'll forgive me if I return. _

_ Your friend,_

_ Steph_

The fourth letter I write is to my family.

_Plums, Mazur, and Kloughns,_

_ I hope you guys are alright. I'm sure the gossip has gone down since I left town...or possibly gone up. Did I runaway with some hottie from RangeMan? The answer to that is no. Mom, if you happen to be worried, just stop ironing. I'm fine. Dad, I hope you haven't shot Grandma yet. Val, I hope you guys are fine. Grandma, find a date yet? I'm sure Dad would be happy if you moved out, but then nothing would be the same. _

_ Love you guys,_

_ Steph_

The fifth, to Tank and the guys at RangeMan.

_ Hi Guys,_

_ Hope everyone's okay. I really hope nobody's gotten shot or gotten put in the hospital. I'm fine and happy, so don't look for me. I'm sure you'll try and trace me from the letters, but there's no point. I miss you all and I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. I might even be safer where I am then at home. There's a guy here who reminds me of you, except that he eats real food. _

_ Love you,_

_ Steph_

I finish writing all the letters and stuff them into envelopes. I address them before I finish eating. All I need now are some stamps. I'm sure my cabbie wouldn't mind taking me to the post office. It's a couple minutes before I'm supposed to meet him, so I run to the bathroom. Once I do my business I head out and see him standing next to his car. I hop in and tell him where I want to go. He nods and takes me there quickly. I tell him to wait and I jump out of the car. I get the stamps and put them on all the letters. I then get them mailed. I run out to the cab and ask to go back to the airport. He nods and drops me off in front of the airport. It's almost eight o' clock. I pay him and make my way inside. The only flight back to Maine is tomorrow at six in the morning. I buy the ticket and get through security. I buy a little snack before everything closes and go settle into the chairs. I pick chairs against the wall, and I pick up my book and get immersed in the story.

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**Tell me what you think with a review! Thanks for reading! :) If, you have any suggestions or questions about anything feel free to ask. :)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the fantastic reviews! :) They make my day. Hopefully this chapter answers some of your questions. **

_Disclaimer: Still don't own the characters. That privilege is __all JE's. _

**Enjoy!

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**Chapter 5_  
_

_Back in Trenton_

**Ranger's POV**

I have just searched the apartment and have found a couple of interesting things. None of the shoes in the closet are black. There's a rainbow of colors in there but none are black. That gives me something to think about. The whole apartment has been redecorated except for the bathroom. My apartment is _much_ more feminine than when I had left. The third thing is the whole drawer full of receipts. I looked through every single one and noticed that they're for the shoes in the closet. For every single pair of shoe there's a receipt in the drawer for it. She left it so I could return every fucking pair. That just makes me feel worse about this shitty predicament. I guess she couldn't stand the guilt of wasting my money. She knew I was going to find the receipts and then it would be up to me to return them. I sigh and put my head in my hands. There's nothing to clue me in about where she would be going. My phone rings and I answer it quickly.

"Talk." I don't have time for meaningless greetings.

"Boss, we think we may have a lead. One of our guys in Las Vegas said he saw someone fitting Steph's description," Tank tells me.

"Get him to tail her and have him send us a picture," I say to him. I hope it's her. I sigh and close my eyes.

"Santos is still checking out the lead in Mexico. He doesn't think it's her," Tank reports.

"Get him back here then," I command. She was proving to be harder to locate than we originally thought.

* * *

**Les' POV**

I'm in Mexico. Some crack head thought they saw Steph while catching a skip. Why Steph would choose to go to Mexico is beyond me. She'd need a passport for that shit anyway. I'm currently seated in a bar where Steph was 'seen'. I haven't caught sight of anyone who looks like her. I'm starting to doubt she's here. I stand up to leave when I see her. She looks more tan then when I last saw her. I follow her legs up and when I get to the hair, I have a feeling that it's her. I make my way to her face and I see it's not her. Damn! I thought it was her, but of course it's not. She'd never make this easy. I flip open my phone and call Tank. I give him the report and he tells me that my flight's tomorrow. I close my phone and turn back to the bar. I order a beer and relax.

A month later and we still have no fucking clue where that girl is. I'm sitting at my cubicle wishing I knew where she is. I lean back in my chair and try and think about where she would be. Would it be some where warm? On the coast? Across the country? A different country? Too many possibilities and not enough clues. The last month has been hell on everyone. We barely even speak her name. It doesn't help that Ranger's back and looking to let loose on anyone he comes into contact with. Most of us have been trying to avoid him, but he is the boss.

"Yo, Les, you gotta letter!" Manny calls to me. He throws me a envelope, and I wonder who's contacting me by snail mail. I notice that there's no return address. Interesting. I stare at the hand writing and realize I recognize it. My heart beats faster. Did Steph really write? I tear open the envelope and start reading her letter. I gulp. She misses me? She left. Damn, Beautiful, I miss you too. I'm rereading the letter for the third time when Tank calls everyone into the control room. Hmm...did he get a letter too? I make my way there tucking the letter into my desk drawer before I go in. I open the door and see pretty much all the guys in the room. Ranger is sitting down too and he doesn't look happy. Of course he's never really mastered the 'happy' look.

"We got a letter from Steph," Tank says and instantly the room is quiet. Tense would be an understatement. None of us want to be here when Ric's gasket blows. I take a look at Ric and see that he's battling with himself. Oh shit. Tank clears his throat, as if their attention isn't on him already. They're all waiting for what she had to say in her letter.

"Hi Guys, Hope everyone's okay. I really hope nobody's gotten shot and put in the hospital. I'm fine and happy, so don't look for me. I'm sure you'll try and trace me from the letters, but there's no point. I miss you all and I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. I might even be safer where I am then at home. There's a guy here who reminds me of you, except that he eats real food. Love you, Steph," Tank says in his deep voice but I can tell every man in the room is hearing her voice speak those words. Ric bolts up and gets out of the room. Finally Bobby speaks up.

"Did he get a letter?" Tank's silence confirmed it. She sure as shit was not talking to Ranger. I almost felt for the guy, I really did, but he made his bed and he can lie in it.

"We need to figure out where she got the paper and where she sent this from immediately. I want the information on the ink, the paper, the envelope, the fucking postage stamp. Get me something so we can figure out where the hell she is," Tank orders. Manny jumps up and grabs the letter. He's our expert on that sort of stuff. "Dismissed." We all get up to leave but before I can Tank says, "Santos, a word." I nod and we wait for the guys to leave. He turns to look at me.

"You got a letter?" he questions. I nod once. He looks at me and I know he wants it.

"It's probably the same as yours," I say. He raises an eyebrow and I know this isn't up for debate. I sigh.

"Lemme go get it." I walk over to my cubicle and grab the letter. I hand it over to Tank. I don't like the idea of them reading it, but I guess they'll have to. I turn to go.

"I won't read it," he says. I turn to look at him and I see the sincerity. I smile.

"Thanks man." He just shrugs.

* * *

**Ranger's POV**

"Santos, got a fucking letter?" I growl out at Tank. He's trying to talk some sense into me but it's not working. I'm pounding on the punching bag he's holding steady for me.

"Would you send a letter to someone who broke your trust?" Tank asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess not, but I used to be her friend," I say between breaths. I'm still beating the shit out of the bag.

"_Used to _being the operatives words here Ric," he reminds. I pound harder.

"I know, but still, don't you write someone you used to care about?" I ask, trying to fathom why she wouldn't write to me even though I logically knew why.

"No. You sever all connection with them. Unless you're still friends, which in your case would be a no in the 'friends' department."

"But, you would think...," I trail off. I suddenly wished I hadn't fucked up. That I had never married her, because then she would still be in my life. Hell, I hadn't even signed the divorce papers in the hope that she somehow still loved me.

"No, I don't think and apparently you didn't either. You married her for Christ's sake and then _left_," Tank reminds me. As if I don't think about it enough already.

"I know. I fucked up. I tried to apologize but she wouldn't listen. Not after Rex got killed," I tell him.

"You mean when she flew to Miami to tell you what a cluster fuck it all was?" Tank asks. I beat the punching bag harder.

"Well...yeah. I realize now that it was the wrong move," I say, my breathing coming in short pants.

"Too little, too late," Tank tells me. "Besides she's moved on. Even if she doesn't realize it yet."

"What do you mean?" I wonder. "I know she got over me, but what are you implying?"

"I mean she's found someone else." I stop beating the bag for a moment. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Who?" I manage to growl out. I'm gonna take the bastard's balls off. Tank looks unfazed.

"None of your concern," Tank tells me. "It doesn't matter right now anyways."

"Who the fuck is it Tank?" I ground out, tired of this game. He just stares at me.

"Ric, calm yourself down. You getting all riled up doesn't help anything. It doesn't change the facts," Tanks states calmly. "You can't change it." I take another swing at the bag.

"Fuck," I mutter, knowing he's right.

"Maybe if you hadn't left for Miami and had tried to explain to her she might be less pissed off with you. But, no. You had to 'distance' yourself from her. You think just your name would protect her?" Tank asks.

"Yeah, I thought all those chicken shits would be too scared to touch her if she had my name. I didn't think it would _make_ more people go after her," I explain.

"I know why you did it, she didn't," Tank states. I rub my head. And, damn if he wasn't right.

"You know I'm a shitty communicator." He nods.

"She didn't want to hear why you did it from me. She wanted to hear it from you." With those words Tank walks off and I think I hear him mutter something that suspiciously sounds like 'dumb ass'.

* * *

**Les' POV**

A week after the letters arrived we had found out jack shit. The paper was generic and so was the ink. They were still looking into the stamp, but they'd have to track it down first. I guess we did teach her well. I'm feeling restless. Sitting at my desk doing paperwork over a skip I picked up the other day is not the way I like to spend my day. So, he had 'tripped' down the stairs a couple times, was the paperwork necessary? I damn well don't think so. I turn back to the sheet in front of me when I hear a little ding telling me I have a new message. Thankful for something to do other than paperwork, I gratefully turned my eyes to the computer. I click on my inbox, and I get confused by what I see. A message from i'minhiding(at)yahoo(dot)com. Who the hell is that? The one person who it could be would never...could never...did she? I click on the email quickly.

_Les,_

_ Before you go calling the cavalry and saying "I've got her! I've got her!" let me just say that I've used precautions to make sure you don't find out where I'm located. It's a public place that I'm just passing through. I'll be gone before you can trace this. Don't tell the guys, please. I normally wouldn't have done this, but I miss you. I miss your laugh, and sharing our days with each other. I just want to tell you about what I'm doing and I want to hear how you're doing. I'm working, but don't worry it's not life threatening. I'm a waitress and I live in a townhouse. I have a roommate. He reminds me of you a lot. We laugh a lot and I can be myself with him. Of course when his date comes by, I usually make myself scarce so I don't have to listen. Walls are thin! Eek! I have to commute to my job, I'm thinking about finding one closer to where I am. It's just I love the owner, she's teaching me how to cook. Can you believe it? Maybe it's just because she's not my mother. So, how's RangeMan? Catch any interesting skips lately? And, does Ranger know that I'm...gone? _

_ Love,_

_ Steph_

She was risking being found to send me an email? My heart swelled at the thought that she missed me so much that she would email me. When did I become such a softy? I sigh as I realize I'm not going to tell the guys, at least not yet.I believe her when she says that we won't find her. I guess we did teach her well. I quickly get to typing my reply.

_Beautiful,_

_ Where have you been? Ranger knows and it's not good. He's taking his anger out on us. Bobby __says that he has to sedate him because he hasn't been sleeping. I say he deserves it, but do the rest of us? Who's this guy? Am I gonna have to kick his ass? You're a waitress? *Snort* __Never pictured that! I actually picked up a skip the other day and now I'm doing the paperwork...boring! You saved me! You cooking? *Gasp* What has the world come to? Oh, wait, I get it. Everything you cook burns up. That's the only way it could happen. I'm glad you're happy, but I thought you were happy here...with me. I thought getting divorced was enough for you. I miss you Beautiful. Don't forget that. _

_ Love,_

_ Les_

I sent the message. It actually felt good to feel like I was talking to her. To know that she cares. If we continue this, I might not mind her being gone so much. I wonder when she's gonna email me next. I bite my lip. Waiting never was my strong suit. I'm more of a jump into action kind of guy. I looked down at my report. Aw, hell. I pick up my pen and I'm about to finish this bad boy up when I hear the sound of a new message. Already? My heart beats a little faster, and I realize I'm nervous about what she has to say. Shit, Army Men don't do nervous.

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**Whatcha think? Likes, dislikes, comments, questions, etc.? Okay, so really I just want you to review. Please and thanks. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I'm sorry I didn't reply. I was busy shoveling snow and working on the next chapter. Thanks to Ziandra2010 for helping me out with things about Maine. She's the one who suggested Helen's Restaurant. :)  
**

_Disclaimer: I only own the ones you don't know! The rest of the credit goes to JE...well except for the storyline. :)_

**Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6_  
_

**Steph's POV**

After touching down at the airport I use the restroom and go to find my car. I get in and drive towards home. It's only been a month but I feel like Maine's my home. It's peaceful and I feel like I have a brother. He doesn't know about my past yet, but I'm hoping to tell him soon.

When I finally get to our townhouse I see his car is in the driveway. I park and hop out. I open the door.

"Honey! I'm home," I yell with a laugh. I see him come down the stairs a bit.

"Chelley Belly! You made it back," he says with a grin. "I thought I was going to have to call the cops." He comes down the stairs and wraps me in a hug.

"My boyfriend is coming over later tonight. I want you to finally meet him," he tells me.

"Finally! I thought you were never gonna let me meet him. Did you tell him about me?" I wonder.

"Yeah, he knows your my roomie," Eric tells me with a wink.

"Good. Did you go to the store yesterday?" I ask him. He looks a little sheepish.

"You said you were going to," I remind him. He nods.

"Yeah, well, I called Kenny since you were going to be out," Eric informs me. I raise an eyebrow.

"That go well?" I ask with a smile. He nods and grins.

"I thought we could go to the store together." I think about it.

"Sure thing honey buns," I tell him. "Let me just go empty my purse." I head upstairs and empty my purse and then meet Eric downstairs. He's holding his car keys.

"I'll drive Chelley," he says. I nod and we get into his car. He drives to Walmart and we head in. We grab a cart and start heading down the aisles.

"Do you have my list?" I ask him. He nods and pulls it out. He hands it over to me and we start walking through the aisles. I'm standing in the cereal aisle trying to decide if I want Coco Puffs or Lucky Charms when a little boy runs into me. He looks up and I see his green eyes that remind me of Les.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I can't find my mommy."

"What's your name?" I ask so I can help him find his mom. I squat down and get level with him.

"My mommy says not to talk to strangers," he tells me.

"Well, my name's Michelle. There I'm not a stranger now," I inform him. He thinks for a minute before nodding his head slowly.

"My name's Gregory," he says with a smile. "Do you know where my mommy is?" I look around trying to find someone who looked like they could be his mother.

"What's your last name Gregory?" I ask him.

"Hernandez." I stand up and give him my hand.

"I'll help you find your Mommy," I tell him. I look up at Eric and he's smiling at me.

"Let's go up front." We walk up to a cash register and I ask the manager if he can call Mrs. Hernandez to the front.

"Mrs. Hernandez we need you at cash register four," he says into the loud speaker. I look down at Gregory as he clutches my hand. A woman with long dark hair rushes towards us.

"Gregory!" she cries. "Mommy!" Gregory lets go of my hand and rushes to his distraught mother.

"I was so worried. I turned around and couldn't find you," she tells him, wrapping him in a hug. It made me want to start a family. Whoa, hold up. _Me_? Start a family? I must be drinking crazy juice. I had never wanted a family before. His mom looks up and sees us standing there smiling. She stands up and holds on to Gregory's hand.

"You guys found him?" she questions. I nod.

"He ran into me on accident and said he couldn't find his mom," I inform her. She nods and smooths out Gregory's unruly hair.

"Thank you so much. My name is Naomi Hernandez," she tells me, sticking out her hand.

"I'm Michelle Parker," I reply, shaking her hand. "Cute boy you have there." She smiles and nods.

"How about I take you two to lunch?" she asks. "It's the least I could do." She looks down at her little boy. I look over at Eric and he just shrugs.

"We'd love to," I tell her with a smile. "We just need to finish shopping."

"This is Eric," I tell her with a smile. He sticks out his hand and she shakes it.

"Nice to meet you Eric." He nods.

"I need to finish some shopping too. Do you guys know where Helen's Restaurant is?" she asks. I shake my head no and Eric shakes his yes. Naomi laughs.

"How about we meet there at twelve?" she asks. I check my watch and see it's ten forty. It would most likely be enough time to finish shopping and take our stuff home.

"Sounds like a plan. We'll see you there," I reply. We go our separate ways. Naomi and Gregory down one aisle towards their cart. Eric and I toward ours.

"You were so good with him Michelle," Eric says with a smile. I shrug.

"I was just trying to help him find his mom," I reply. "Now, come on. We gotta get this done."

Forty minutes later we're heading home to put our goods away. While we were there I also got some more clothes since all I had were the things in my suitcase that I brought from Trenton. We packed everything away and I went upstairs. Since we still had some time before we had to go meet Naomi at the restaurant, I started unpacking my suitcase. I added my new purchases too. Once my I filled my dresser and closet up I went back downstairs. I still have more room to put more clothes, so maybe Eric and I can take a trip and go shopping some time. Eric was drinking water when I found him in the kitchen.

"You ready to go Chelley?" he asks with a smile. I nod. We get in his car and he takes us to Helen's Restaurant.

"You know there's an original Helen's Restaurant in Machias, Maine," Eric informs me. "They're known for their fantastic pies." He looks over and winks.

"You know I'll have to try some," I tell him. He nods like it was his plan for me to try them the whole time. We pull up to the restaurant and when we walk inside the restaurant, and we see Naomi and Gregory sitting at a booth. There's a man with them. He has dark hair like Naomi's but it's slightly lighter and he doesn't have the same eyes. Her husband, I'm assuming. We walk over and Naomi stands up.

"Michelle, Eric, this is my husband Sebastian," she tells us. "I told him we were going out for lunch and he wanted to come." I smile.

"That's fine. Nice to meet you Sebastian," I say, shaking his hand. Eric does his greetings as well.

"Michelle helped me find Mommy at the store!" Gregory tells his dad with a smile. Sebastian smiles at his son.

"That was nice of her, wasn't it?" he asks. Gregory nods. We order our food and we start talking. After our meal comes we sort of break off into our own conversations. Sebastian and Eric chatting away while Naomi and I do the same. Gregory's just humming as he eats his food.

"I'm taking online classes to become a teacher," Naomi tells me. "I'm mostly trying to work with middle school age students."

"That sounds nice. I never really thought about going back to school for anything," I say. "I never really used to be that fond of kids, but after meeting Gregory, I think that I've changed. He's so sweet." Naomi smiles and looks at her little guy.

"Maybe you changed before but you just didn't realize it. Working with kids can be so rewarding," she says with a smile. "Maybe you should think about looking into taking online classes to become a teacher." I want to laugh because back in Trenton I would have thought it improbable. Here and now I find that I actually like her idea. It actually appeals to me. She takes in my face and I can tell she knows.

"That's actually not a bad idea," I tell her. She smiles.

"You're a kind hearted person Michelle. I can see that and you have so much potential," Naomi tells me. We had only met a couple hours before and here's this stranger telling me that I have potential.

"You think I would make a good teacher?" I question. She nods.

"I see you as a first grade teacher. Gregory's in first grade," she informs me. First grade? With little kids? What if something happened while I was teaching? I look at Gregory. If all the kids were as cute as him, I wouldn't mind teaching first grade.

"You make a good case Naomi. I moved out here looking for something, but I have no clue what it is. I think that I'm going to take classes," I tell her. She grins broadly. We turn to the guys to see that they're talking about sports. I guess I never really imagined Eric liking sports but who was I to judge? Our conversations were winding down and Gregory was starting to look bored. Naomi and Sebastian had insisted they pay since we had helped find Gregory. We tried arguing over paying our own but they wouldn't hear of it.

"Michelle, here's my number. Feel free to call anytime. I have a girls night out with my friends on Thursday's. You should come sometime," Naomi says, handing me a piece of paper. I hand her a slip of paper with our number on it.

"Just call me to tell me," I tell her. She smiles.

"It was nice meeting you Michelle," she says. I nod and Eric slings his arm around my shoulder. He may be gay, but he loves to act straight.

"Nice meeting you Sebastian," Eric calls.

"Likewise Eric," Sebastian says hoisting Gregory up into his arms.

"Thanks for lunch." I give Naomi a hug and say bye to Gregory.

"They're nice Chelley Belly," Eric says once we're in the car.

"Yeah. I don't know if you heard, but Naomi suggested I take online classes." I look over at him. He's mulling it over.

"Online classes for what?" he asks turning to look at me.

"Becoming a teacher. I don't know yet for sure, but I think it's something I'd like to try." He grins.

"You'd make a fabulous teacher. You're so open minded and caring. They'd love you. I say go for it!" I didn't expect this reaction out of him. I smile. We haven't known each other for very long but we have become close friends. I figure it's time he knew the truth. We get home and he's about to go to his room when I stop him.

"Eric, the fourth of July is coming up. I think we should take a trip together," I say, unsure of how he'll react.

"Sounds good. What brought this on?" he asks. I take a deep breath.

"Do you remember when we met and you asked why I was here?" He nods.

"Yeah, you told me it was a long story and that you'd tell me sometime," he replies.

"I did say that. I think it's time you know why I'm here. The fourth is next week. I'll tell you when we head out. How does New York sound?" I ask. His eyes widen. He smiles like he's been given the greatest gift.

"I knew you'd eventually tell me," he says. He was so sure. How did he know? Was this even the best idea? He walks over to me and picks me up. He wraps me in a hug.

"I could tell you've been through some stuff, so I never asked. I figured when the time was right you'd tell me everything," he says in my ear. He believed in me. That I would let him in. It's nice to have a friend again. I hug him tighter, thankful that I met him.

"Whatever it is that you have to tell me, I'll be here for you Chelley Belly. You're like my little sister," he informs me. "And, if anyone tries to hurt you I'll kick their ass." I grin.

"You're like a big brother I never had," I tell him. "You promise that when I tell you that you won't get mad or leave?"

"I can't promise I won't get mad, but I can promise I won't leave. I know that what ever you're keeping is something you thought you had to. I doubt I'll get mad, but I won't know until you tell me." I have never been so thankful for a friend. Maybe I'll tell him earlier then planned.

"Now, go get ready for dinner with Kenny. He'll be here at five thirty," Eric tells me with a smile.

"If you insist honey bee," I agree. "What are we having for dinner?"

"It's a surprise. Now go!" He tells me pointing towards the stairs. I put my hands up in surrender as I walk towards the stairs.

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**Whatcha think? Tell me your thoughts. I love to hear them. I should have the next chapter up tomorrow. :) Thanks for reading! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks again for all the fabulous reviews! They really do make my day. :) I'm getting such positive things about this story. I was trying to get to the part where she emails Les, but that will have to wait for next chapter.  
**

_Disclaimer: Still don't own the usual suspects. It's the unusual ones I do own. :) _

**Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7

**Steph's POV**_  
_

I head upstairs and grab a change of clothes. I go down the hall to the bathroom and I turn on the water. While I wait for it to heat up I go and grab my bathroom necessities. I step under the hot spray and I relax. Everything's going to be okay, I think, as I massage in my shampoo. Once I finish my shower I step out and pull on a pretty sky blue spaghetti strap dress. It hits just above my knees and it's really pretty. It has lace going around the bottom and the top. It has sewn in flowers in the same blue all over. I dry my hair and straighten it. I put my make up on but I keep it natural. Once I finish I toss my clothes in my room and shut the door. I head downstairs and my nose catches the smell of a wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. I follow my nose and find Eric in the kitchen with an apron on. I almost laugh at the sight.

"So, what are you making?" I ask, coming up from behind him. He flinches a little before turning to me.

"You did that on purpose," he accuses with a smile. I try and bite back my own.

"Who me?" I ask innocently, looking around him. I see the frying pan with the top over it and a strange looking thing plugged in on the counter beside the stove.

"What's this?" I ask pointing to the white pot thing.

"You've never seen a rice cooker before?" he asks an eyebrow raised. I shake my head.

"Nope, I lived in Jersey. We don't usually eat things with rice in it," I tell him.

"Not all of them are white, mine just happens to be. I got it out of storage yesterday," he informs me. I nod.

"What's in the frying pan?" I wonder, trying to take the lid off. He smacks my hand playfully.

"No peaking!" he chides. I sigh.

"Meanie!" I whine. "Why can't I see?" He just raises an eyebrow.

"It's a surprise! Now, why don't you go turn on some music and I'll get out some wine," he tells me. I roll my eyes.

"Sure thing honey bunch!" I say, turning into the living room. I flip on the TV and search for a music channel. I set the remote down and I'm about to turn around when a glass of wine is in front of me.

"When did we get these glasses?" I ask raising an eyebrow. He just smirks.

"I've been busy," he says. I roll my eyes and take a sip of my wine.

"I was only gone a day!" He gives me a wide grin.

"I know!" He chuckles as I shake my head. "I have to go get ready. Just let him in if I'm not down here when he comes to the door." I salute.

"Yes sir!" I say with a smirk playing on my lips. This time he rolls his eyes. He heads upstairs and I sip my wine while listening to the music. I tiptoe into the kitchen and eye the frying pan. I look behind me took make sure Eric isn't about to jump out at me. I set my wine down and I move my hand towards the lid. I'm about to open it when the doorbell rings. I let out a small shriek and put my hand to my hammering chest. I walk to the door and open it. I get to see Kenny for the first time. He's tall, but not as tall as Eric. He has blond hair and brilliant light blue eyes. He's clean shaven and has a scarf wrapped around his neck. He's wearing a navy blue v-neck t-shirt. He's wearing dark wash jeans and Doc Martens. He grins widely giving me a view of his pearly whites.

"You must be Michelle!" he says and if I had any doubts about his sexuality, I wouldn't now.

"Yes and you must be Kenny," I say with a smile. "Come on in. Eric went upstairs to change."

"It's nice to meet you. Eric's told me about you," he informs me with a pleasant smile. I nod.

"Would you like some wine?" I offer. He nods and we head into the kitchen.

"So, did you get all of your business taken care of the other day?" he asks, making conversation.

"Yep, it's all done," I tell him as I hand him a glass of wine. He takes a sip and I see Eric come down the stairs.

"Are you guys ready to eat?" Eric asks with a smile. Kenny and I nod. I turn to go set my drink of the table and when I turn back Eric and Kenny are sharing a light kiss. Eric keeps his arm around Kenny as they turn. I smile. Eric looks so happy and so does Kenny.

"So, now are you going to tell me what we're having for dinner?" I ask Eric with light tapping of my foot. Kenny laughs.

"You mean he didn't tell you what we will be feasting on tonight?" Kenny asks, looking up at Eric.

"You told Kenny?" I ask. "You said it was a surprise!" Eric chuckles.

"It is a surprise Chelley Bean, but for you." I roll my eyes.

"I'll get you for this honey buns," I threaten. Psh, yeah right, I'm all talk. Of course, he doesn't know that. Eric just shakes his head and looks at Kenny. Kenny's just smiling at both of us.

"We eating or not? 'Cause I love stir fry," Kenny asks. Stir fry, sounds yummy. My mother's never made it and I never tried it.

"You guys go sit down and I'll serve up the food," Eric suggests. The table is set and there are candles in the middle. Kenny sits down and I look over at Eric.

"Do we have a lighter or matches?" I wonder.

"Drawer next to the fridge," he tells me as he sets one filled plate on the counter. I find the lighter and light up the candles. I put it back and grab the filled plate. I set it in front of Kenny and I sit down myself. Eric brings over the rest of our plates and we all dig in. Kenny tells us about his day and some asshole from school that he ran into. We told him our day, since we pretty much hung out all day.

After we finished our dinner, which was surprisingly good, Eric got out the tiramisu we had bought earlier today. We each got a piece and continued our conversation over our desert and coffee. I guess I moaned because Kenny and Eric are both smiling at me after my first bite. I blush and mumble an apology.

"Don't apologize Sunshine, I think everyone should love food as much as you," Kenny says, using a nickname he came up with halfway through dinner.

After we moved our party into the living room I tell them I'm tired. I head upstairs and get ready for bed. I snuggle into my bed and drift off to sleep.

I wake up in the morning, and to say I was surprised by Kenny sitting at the kitchen table would be an understatement.

"Morning Sunshine, sleep well?" he asks. I nod and look for the coffee.

"You stayed over night?" I ask, just to make sure. He grins and nods. I roll my eyes. I pour myself a cup of coffee.

The Friday before the Fourth of July we had my car packed up. Eric is making sure we have everything before locking up the house. We decide we're good and get in the car. Eric asks to drive. Who am I to argue? He probably knows how to get there better than I.

"I just moved back up from New York," he informs me. I smile.

"Did you not like living there?" I ask. He fiddles with the radio before deciding to answer me.

"I liked it there. They, of course, have more of a public gay scene, but that's not me. I came back home to live closer to my parents. Of course, I didn't want to stay in the same house with them," he explains with a smile.

"It worked out for about a week, and then I went to the B&B," he tells me, "Maggie, she's my grandma's friend." I nod, not knowing that little tidbit.

"So, are you going to tell me your story?" he asks, turning to look at me. I sigh and nod.

"Before I moved here I lived in Trenton, New Jersey. I'm a born and raised Jersey girl. Although, my name isn't really Michelle Diane Parker. My name is Stephanie Michelle Plum," I start off with. I look over to see his reaction and he doesn't seem mad.

"What made you change your name and move here?" he wonders. I grab the water bottle in the cup holder and take drink.

"I had gotten laid off my job and so I went to my cousin for a job. I became a bounty hunter. The two men who were in my life were Ranger and Joe. Joe had been my on again off again boyfriend for a couple years. He always hated my relationship with Ranger. I guess I love Joe, but I'm not in love with him." Eric nods his head.

"I know what you mean."

"Well, about a two years ago Joe and I called it quits for good. He moved on and got a girlfriend who wanted to get married and have kids. That just wasn't what I wanted back then. Ranger, who was my mentor and...best friend," I explain tears welling up in my eyes. "We had one night together and he said if Joe was out of my bed long enough he would jump in. Anyways, he never did. He always said his love came with a condom not a ring."

"The bastard," Eric spits. "How could he not see the wonderful person you are?" I smile at that. I dig out some snacks from the cooler and hand a pack of crackers to Eric. I then start munching on my own.

"Well, I always got stalkers so it wasn't a surprise when I got another one. Only this time it was because of Ranger. One of the skips he had put in jail wanted to make him pay. So, he came after me. I got kidnapped and hurt. When I woke up, I was married to Ranger," I tell him. I see Eric's eyes widen.

"How the hell could he marry you if you didn't consent?" Eric asked, his blood boiling.

"I don't know and I never figured it out. Shortly afterward Ranger disappeared to Miami where another of his office buildings are located. He only said, 'Babe, this is for your own good.' He had already taken away my choices and here he was again taking them away. He didn't even try and fight for what he had...claimed," I tell Eric, tears running out of my eyes now. I hear Eric growl.

"He gave me free reign over his bank account, which on his part was stupid. I filed for divorce. We're currently separated," I continue with my story. "A couple months ago when the guys, Ranger's employees, insisted I move to RangeMan. I was collecting my things, Rex, my hamster included, when I got kidnapped. Ranger was in Miami and I hadn't had any crazy stalkers of late. I found out it was an old enemy of his coming to kill me to make Ranger pay." I am sobbing by this point. Eric squeezes my hand.

"It's okay Chelley Bean, keep going," he encourages. I nod and catch my breath.

"When I woke up he had Rex on a table in front of me." I let out a sob and tears ran down my face like raindrops rolling down a window during a rain storm.

"He said the way to hurt Ranger was through me. So...so...so he killed Rex!" I wailed. "He killed my best friend! I loved that little guy. I guess he killed him to make sure that even if I did get out alive, that I would blame Ranger for Rex's death." I try not to choke on my tears and Eric hands me a tissue.

"Oh, Chelle, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what it's like," Eric said sympathetically.

"It's not your fault. My friend Lester, who helped me get over the whole 'I'm married to Ranger thing' saved my life that day. Ugly, what I called the guy who killed Rex, was coming towards me with a knife and was about to hurt me when the shot rang out. As he was falling down he managed to cut my leg. Les came to my side and told me everything would be alright. The rest of the Merry Men, that's what I call the RangeMan employees, called the police and made sure I was okay." I pause and take another drink of my water.

"After that incident I flew down to Miami to confront Ranger. I asked him why he married me if he didn't want to be married. You know what he said?" I paused before trying to intimidate Ranger's voice. "Babe, I'm only trying to protect you. The best way I know how. I guess my love comes with a ring but not a condom."

"He didn't!" Eric said, looking over at me shocked. I nodded.

"Yep, he did. Which means it's only his name and nothing more. Then I asked him how it was protecting me if I had gotten kidnapped since we had been married. He just sighed and said, 'Babe, it's complicated'." I roll my eyes. The arrogance of him!

"Les, was there for me though. He held me when I cried and even stayed with me some nights when I had nightmares of Rex getting killed. He's actually the reason I chose Maine. He said he had a beach house up here and he loves it. Last week I actually flew to Ohio to send everyone I left behind letters, telling them that I was okay." Eric nodded.

"Didn't want them finding you?" I nod.

"So, are you still my big brother?" I ask, just to make sure. Eric scoffs, "How could I have it any other way?" I grin.

"You'll still call me Chelley Bean, right?" I wonder. He nods.

"Of course. It would be hard adjusting to calling you Stephanie instead of Michelle or all the other things I call you," he informs me. I smile and lean my head against my seat. I feel lighter somehow, like some huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I guess that's what you get when you tell the truth.

"Good," I mumble before drifting off.

* * *

**Eric's POV**

Meeting Michelle was probably the best thing that could have happened to me when I moved back to Maine. Other than meeting Kenny of course. She accepts me the way I am and even wants me to be her big brother. I like knowing that she counts on me. I could tell that her past was troubled. Every since I woke her up from her nap the first day we met. It was like we were both put in the position to meet each other so I could look out for her. Or that's what I think at least. When I told her I was gay she didn't even flinch. She asked if I wanted to go shopping! Who does that? Someone with a big heart. When I told Kenny all about her he was excited to meet her. He's more open about being gay so he's gotten more criticism than I have and he needs to meet someone like her. He said she was great and had even given her a nickname. I knew that he would be taken with her. She just has that effect. It made me tear up when she told me she would tell me her past. She trusts me so much. How could I ever do something to break that trust? And, from what she told me about that guy named Ranger, he obviously didn't know what he had. I know it broke her heart that he had done that. It made me want to cause him pain. I'm usually more of a peaceful guy, but what he did to her...I have no words for. If, I ever met him...it would not end well. Her losing poor Rex made me feel sick. Who does that to defenseless creatures? I'm thinking about getting her a dog. I think she'd like that. That way when I'm working at my dad's hardware store she'll have someone to hang out with. I think that when we met Naomi and her son, that it was fate. Michelle and Naomi got along so well. I think it will be good for Michelle to have some women friends here.

Her little boy is adorable though. When she told me about the teaching thing, I was blown away. I never really thought about it, but once I did, I think it's a great choice. She'd do so well with kids even if she wasn't sure. All the kids would love her. Then, when she spoke of Lester, her eyes lit up. I'm not sure if she's aware of it or not, but she's in love. I just hope he's better than the dick Ranger. How could he do that to someone as compassionate and lively as Michelle? I shake my head trying not to think about it. I looked over at Chelley who had fallen asleep after telling me about her past. At least she survived. There are some weaker people out there who would have fallen apart and given up. That's what I like about her so much. She's not the type to give up. She wasn't like someone else I knew. My thoughts drift back to the past, a place I never wanted to travel to again. A place where pain and suffering are present. When my little sister took her life. I couldn't go back. Not now and possibly never. I take a deep breath and try to focus my mind. I see we're almost in New York. Kenny said he would try and make it up here, but he's stuck at work. He's a hair stylist and has appointments up the yin yang. He has spent the whole week at the house though. Kenny said that when Steph came down the first morning and found him sitting there, she was shocked. Kenny was so surprised that she didn't get disgusted, it just made him love her more. I heard her music turned up at night though, I guess we weren't being as quiet as we thought. She never said anything about it though. I guess it doesn't bother her that much. When I see the New York sign I wake Chelley up to tell her that I am going to stop at a Micky D's soon. She nods.

"I have to go pee," she admits with a smile. I grin and shake my head. Of course. We stop and go inside. We both use the bathroom and meet back out front. We both get in line and order.

"Where in New York do you want to go?" I ask her as we start munching on our food.

* * *

**Into the mind of Eric. What'd you think? And, now I'm officially telling you guys that it's a Les/Steph pairing. :) My first non Steph/Ranger. So, tell me what you think! Thanks for reading. **


	8. Chapter 8

**I know this chapter is shorter than most but it was fitting that I cut it where I did. I'll try and make it up to you next chapter. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. They reminded me that you guys are waiting on this. So, read on. :)**

_Disclaimer: I still don't own the ones you know. _

**Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8_  
_

**Eric's POV**

"Somewhere with great clubs and a public library," she tells me. I scrunch my brows. Library? Why would she want to go some where that has a library?

"You plan on reading this weekend?" I ask her with a smile. She looks down.

"I want to send Les some emails," she informs me. I grin. That's the best idea I've heard all day. Her getting in touch with the guy she loves...even if she doesn't realize it yet. This could be my way to make her see. Subtly, of course. Or, I'll possibly have to spell it out for her. At least she's a smart cookie.

"Great idea!" I say enthusiastically. She raises an eyebrow. Uh-oh, she's on to me.

"Why are you so gung-ho about this idea?" she questions. She could become a cop with that stare down. I gulp nervously.

"You and Les need to talk. And, um...if he misses you as much as you uh...miss him, then it's a win win situation," I explain. She stills eyes me warily. I'm feeling guiltier by the minute.

"Well, I used to live in New York City and they have a nice public library," I tell her. She nods.

"Sounds good to me then," she says with a bright smile. She's always so bright even with everything that's happened to her. She goes back to her food humming a little tune.

"Chelley Bean, you amaze me, ya know that?" I ask her with a smile. She blushes.

"I don't see how, but if you insist honey bee," she says with a shrug. I shake my head knowing I won't be able to convince her. We finished up our lunch and got back on the road.

"I've never really gone on a long road trip before. The first time was when I drove to Maine," she tells me as she looks out the window.

"I did. Just after high school, I took off in my old dinky car. My first car was crappy, but it ran and that was all I cared about." She smiles.

"I've had a few of those. When I first started bounty hunting actually, I had the crappiest car." She laughs at this and I can't help but grin.

* * *

**Steph's POV**

We arrive in New York City a little after four. An eight hour drive. We stop the car and stretch. We're parked in the parking lot of a motel. We figured we could save a bit of money by going for less expensive rooms.

"Let's grab a cab and we can head to the library and then to dinner," he suggests with a smile. I shrug.

"Sounds good to me," I tell him with a smile. We get to the library fairly quickly even with the traffic. We pay the cabbie and head into the library. We find the the computers.

"Chelley, you need a card for the computers," he tells me. I bite my lip. I don't have a card.

"I'd have to use my real name and everything so they can't track me down by what I go by," I tell him.

"You could use my card," he suggests. I sigh, that's not going to work.

"They could track you down," I tell him as I bite my lip. "Okay, I really want to do this, so I'm going to."

"You have to live in the state to get a card," Eric tells me. I slap my hand to my forehead.

"I won't be able to do it," I tell him. "I won't be able to email Les." Eric's face is set with determination.

"I can make a call. I still know a lot of people who live here," he says. I nod. We step outside and he pulls out his cell phone. I wait patiently as he places his call. He comes back grinning at me.

"My friend Celia is going to let us use hers. She's willing to take the risk," Eric tells me with a grin. I hug him tightly.

"Thank you so much," I say. "You're the best friend a girl could ask for." He smiles at me.

"You should probably hide while she puts in her info. That way if anyone comes a knocking she doesn't know who you are," he tells me. I nod.

"Smart idea honey bun." He grins and shakes his head. He looks at me a moment.

"Go inside and look at some books near the computers," he tells me. "When she leaves I'll wave you over." I nod and head inside. It seems like eternity before I see Eric walk in with a pretty lady. She's short with blonde hair and I can't see the color of her eyes. She does something with the computer before Eric hugs her. He then waves me over. I sit down at the computer.

"First thing first, I need to make a new email address," I tell him, thinking. He laughs.

"I have one, I don't know if you like it though. How about iminhiding(at)yahoo(dot)com?" he suggests. I grin.

"That's perfect." I set out making my email and when I finish I get ready to email Les. I had just finished emailing him when I got his reply.

_ Beautiful,_

_ Where have you been? Ranger knows and it's not good. He's taking his anger out on us. Bobby says that he has to sedate him because he hasn't been sleeping. I say he deserves it, but do the rest of us? Who's this guy? Am I gonna have to kick his ass? You're a waitress? *Snort*__Never pictured that! I actually picked up a skip the other day and now I'm doing the paperwork. You saved me! You cooking? *Gasp* What has the world come to? Oh, wait, I get it. Everything you cook burns up. That's the only way it could happen. I'm glad you're happy, but I thought you were happy here...with me. I thought getting divorced was enough for you. I miss you Beautiful. Don't forget that. _

_ Love,_

_ Les_

Eric sat beside me and I could tell he wasn't reading. I took pity on him. After all, he's been helping me this whole time.

"Go ahead, you can read it," I tell him with a grin. He quickly reads and turns to look at me.

"Why would he have to kick my ass?" Eric asks with a raised eyebrow. "Who does he think he is?" I giggle.

"He's my protector, so you better watch out," I tell him seriously only laughing at the end. "Just kidding. I won't let him hurt you."

"Well, go on, aren't you going to reply?" he asks. I grin.

"Course I am honeysuckle," I say adding another honey name to my collection.

_Les,_

_ I've been making a new life. I'm sorry about Ranger, but really, what did he expect? For me to be all happy go lucky about him? He left me Les. I was just returning the favor. I do think of you often though. I'm sorry that he's making your life hell and I am sorry that he's not sleeping. Did he ever think about how hard it was for me to sleep when he left? I don't think he did. I feel like it's justice, but I'm not happy about it. I didn't want him to suffer. Why did my leaving hurt him so much? And, for the record you will not be kicking anyone's ass. He's a good friend to me, a brother, I'd say. Yes, I'm a waitress, but hopefully not for much longer. Someone I know mentioned the idea of going back to school to become a teacher, I think I might go for it. Yes! I am cooking. And, no. It's not all burning. So, suck it! I'll be a better cook than you in no time. Les...it will be enough when I get back. I was happy with you, but...here I'm not Ranger's wife. Here, I'm my own person and he's not a part of it. I hope you can understand._

_ Love,_

_ Steph_

I look over at Eric after I send my email. He's biting his lip like he wants to tell me something.

"Spill," I demand. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"Chelley, look, I um...don't want to interfere or anything...but just tell him you love him already!" Eric suggests. My eyes widen and I take in a breath. Love? Les? My best friend?

"Breathe Michelle," he says, gripping my shoulders. I nod and start to breathe.

"How...why would you say that?" I ask obviously confused. Eric sighs and mumbles, "I knew I shouldn't have said anything."

"Michelle, you're eyes light up with you talk about him. You miss him like crazy. Heck, sometimes I can tell you're thinking about him just because of the look on your face. Don't deny. Ever since mentioning emailing him you've been staring into space with a dreamy look on your face," Eric says in a rush. "You're crazy about him and I'm sure he's crazy about you." I can tell he's right. I think about him more and more. It's like I'm missing a piece that I hadn't even realized was gone. Now that Eric points it out...I can see that there's a hole in my armor, so to speak. I guess I really do love him. I never thought about it before because I never thought it possible. Those big green eyes I had gotten used to seeing and the fact that he was always there for me. Then when I left I was suddenly missing him. I hear the little ding indicating that he has replied.

_Beautiful,_

_I know he left and I don't excuse that, but he knows he made a mistake. He knows that it was wrong. He's actually going to church. It's kind of scary. *Puts hands up* Alright, I won't kick his ass...unless he hurts you. Teaching? Wow, beautiful, you sure would make a good teacher. Well, when you come back, you'll have to show me your new culinary skills. Hopefully, I'll see you again soon._

_ Love,_

_ Les_

I read the note and see that it's possible he loves me too. Maybe even probable.

"Excuse me, Miss, you have ten minutes left. We have people who reserved the computers coming soon," one of the librarian people say. I nod.

"I'll be off soon." I take a deep breath. I know what I'm about to do and I know it's bold.

_Les,_

_ My friend has just made me see something I had failed seeing before. I'm wildly, madly, in love with you. I realize I've known this all along, but I never really grasped it. I may change, but my love for you won't. I can only hope you feel the same. Until we see each other again, I'll keep you in my heart. _

_ I love you,_

_ Steph_

With a sigh I click the send button. I exit out of everything and log out. Eric rubs my shoulder and we stand up to leave. I only hope that Les feels the same. It's only a shame I won't get to see his reply. Tears fill my eyes as I realize I don't know when I'll see him again. All I know is that I can't go back even if my heart isn't fully with me. One of my only thoughts, 'when did I become such a sap?'

* * *

**Well..that was interesting, wasn't it? Next chapter will be Les' POV. I hope you guys liked it. :) Thanks for reading. Tell me what you thought! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I'm sorry I didn't reply. I've been busy, thus the not posting until today. I hope you guys like it. :)**

_Disclaimer: I don't own the usual suspects. _

**Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9_  
_

**Les' POV**

I click open my email and I wonder if she's answered my questions.

_ Les,_

_ I've been making a new life. I'm sorry about Ranger, but really, what did he expect? For me to be all happy go lucky about him? He left me Les. I was just returning the favor. I do think of you often though. I'm sorry that he's making your life hell and I am sorry that he's not sleeping. Did he ever think about how hard it was for me to sleep when he left? I don't think he did. I feel like it's justice, but I'm not happy about it. I didn't want him to suffer. Why did my leaving hurt him so much? And, for the record you will not be kicking anyone's ass. He's a good friend to me a brother, I'd say. Yes, I'm a waitress, but hopefully not for much longer. Someone I know mentioned the idea of going back to school to become a teacher, I think I might go for it. Yes! I am cooking. And, no. It's not all burning. So, suck it! I'll be a better cook than you in no time. Les...it will be enough when I get back. I was happy with you, but...here I'm not Ranger's wife. Here, I'm my own person and he's not a part of it. I hope you can understand._

_ Love,_

_ Steph_

I guess she was partially right about Ranger. I mean he did leave her first. Karma. I'm kind of surprised that she's not happy about his pain. Not that she should be, it's just he hurt her, so I thought she'd like to know that he was hurting. On one hand I wonder how she could even care for him after what he did, but on the other, I knew they had a great friendship. At least the guy she's hanging out with isn't a threat. Bombshell, as a teacher? I smile just thinking about it. If, I was her student I'd love her. I quickly wrote my reply and waited impatiently for her response. I'm tapping my pen on my desk when I hear the ding.

"What are you waiting for?" I hear behind me. I spin around quickly.

"Bobby, what's up man?" I ask, trying to block the computer screen. He looks at me curiously.

"You okay man? You seem a little jumpy," he states still looking me over.

"I'm fine. Do you need something?" I ask, wanting to get him away as soon as possible. He's brow is still scrunched as he looks for an explanation for my behavior. He drops it and looks me in the eyes.

"Nah, I was just wondering if you were up to going to Shorty's later," Bobby says. "All the guys are gonna go." I think about it. It depends on if Steph and I are still emailing.

"What time?" I wonder, thinking that I can just show up once I finish here. He checks his watch.

"In an hour and a half," he tells me. I bob my head up and down.

"I'll think about it. I just have to get this report done," I tell him pointing to the crappy paper that's on my desk. He nods.

"Alright man." He walks away and I wait a couple seconds longer before turning to my computer. I click open the newest email. My breath catches in my throat as I read it quickly. My heart is pounding in my chest and it's all I can hear. My eyes keep reading one sentence over and over.

_I'm wildly, madly, in love with you...I'm wildly, madly, in love with you. In love with you. In love with you. With you...with you...with you. I'm wildly, madly, in love with you._

With my heart pounding so loud, I didn't hear him walk up. I didn't know he had read over my shoulder. I hadn't known he was looking at me. I hadn't known. I have gotten sloppy.

"You're talking to Steph?" he asks, rather loudly. I jump up quickly, not knowing he was there.

"Shh!" I say, clamping a hand over his mouth. I look around to make sure nobody is seeing this. It's a good thing I keep the camera at my desk scrambled.

"You can't tell anyone," I say. "Bobby, please man, don't let them know." I let go of Bobby's mouth.

"Dude, you're in contact with her! You have to tell someone. You know what will happen if Ranger finds out," he warns in a concerned friend way.

"I know man, but...I love her. And, besides she'll be gone before we can trace it," I tell him. He sighs.

"Damn it Les. Most of us knew you loved her. Just don't get caught, got it?" he says. I nod.

"I won't man and even if I do, you won't get in trouble. I won't let him know that you knew," I reassure him. He rolls his eyes.

"We're in this together. I'll be right there with you when we say that we had contact from her," Bobby says, looking me straight in the eye. He knew I understood then. We were in this together. Brothers in arms. Brothers now, at home. I gave him a manly hug and clapped him on the back.

"Thanks man." He grins. "What did you expect?" I roll my eyes.

"So, you gonna reply?" he asks with a raised eyebrow. I grin and sit back down.

"'Course I am brother," I tell him. I quickly type out my reply.

_Stephanie,_

_ I love you too. Seeing you say this makes my heart soar. You have no idea what this means to me. I cannot wait until I see you again. I love you with all my heart, mi amor. I'll think of you often. _

_ Te amo,_

_ Les_

It wasn't very long, but I figured it didn't matter. It got the point across. Now, she would know I loved her as well. I smile. It's Bobby's turn to clap me on the back.

"Come on, I was coming to tell you we're changing the Shorty's time to now," he lets me know. I look back at the computer.

"I'm sure she'll be waiting when we get back," he offers. I log out of my computer and head out with Bobby.

"I feel like I'm on top of the world," I tell him. "If, only I knew where she was."

"All of us wish we knew where she was," he tells me. "We can still run a search to see where she was when she sent those messages," he suggests. I shrug. I guess it wouldn't hurt and she'd never know.

"I guess man," I tell him. "But, we can't let Ranger know." He nods solemnly, knowing this could end up in a giant cluster fuck.

* * *

**Ranger's POV**

I'm sitting at my desk doing paperwork when Tank comes in. I raise an eyebrow.

"We're going to Shorty's, you coming?" he asks even if he already suspects the answer. I debate before deciding.

"Yeah, give me a minute," I tell Tank, as I finish the final touches on a new client's contract. Once I finish I look up at Tank. I can tell he's more than a little shocked that I'm deciding to go out tonight. Every since Babe left, I haven't been myself. Or maybe, I've been more of myself then I ever knew. I haven't been sleeping though. I keep seeing her haunted eyes as she yells at me about Rex and my stupid words. I need to snap out of it though, it's not helping find her. Should I stop looking? She has asked us not to look. No, I would always look for her. I stand up and stretch. I grab my jacket and we head out.

"You driving?" I ask Tank. He raised his eyebrows before letting it go. He knows I've changed. Possibly, for the better. Hell, I have gone to Church more in the past month than I ever had. I've been praying that I find her. I've been praying for forgiveness. We get in the Turbo and head to Shorty's. When we get there everybody is already drinking their first pitcher of beer. We pour ourselves some and join the crowd. I listen to the laughing. It hasn't been this great since before Steph left. I guess the guys needed this, I haven't exactly been forthcoming to them lately.

"Everything's on me," I announce. Everyone stops the festivities and looks at me like I've grown a second head. They then start saying their thanks and laughing.

"I had to go pick up a skip with Lula the other day, but the skip was so fat when she stunned him, it didn't work!" Tank says to one of the guys. "Lula threatened him with a gun. I mean, normally she would have threatened to sit on him...but he was so big."

"I think Bombshell rubbed off on me. I got covered in mud the other day when I was chasing a skip! I swear, she's got bad karma," Woody says with a grin. The room is loud and full of cheer. I can't bring myself to find anything to be happy about. I catch Les' eye over the table and he gives me a nod. I nod back. I guess we're good. He didn't really do anything. He only helped Steph when she needed it the most. When I was an ass to her. God, I wish I could take it all back. If, I could I would take away my past, then none of this would have ever happened to her. I grab a couple slices of pizza and eat my fill. I finish a couple beers and have finally relaxed a little. I'm just enjoying the happiness around me. I close my eyes and soak it in. If, only I could feel like the guys do. They're not worried about a crazy blue eyed girl right now. They're in the moment. Having fun.

"Ric, relax. I'm the DD. Have a couple more beers. Get a fucking buzz," Tank tells me. I nod and start on my fifth or sixth beer. After I finish two more Tank hands me a shot glass. I look at him.

"You're kidding," I state. He shakes his head before replying, "No, man. Just drink it." I down it and he hands me a second. I look at him.

"If, I have a hangover tomorrow...," I tell him trailing off. He just shrugs and gives me a glass. It's either my third or fourth. I drink it quickly and I feel less inhibited. He hands me some more and by the time he finishes I can't tell how many I've had or which way the door is.

"Where's Steph?" I ask, looking over at Tank. "Maybe I'll call her since Morelli's been out of her bed." I grin at my friend. He's not looking like it's a good idea.

"RangeMan, Steph's gone. Remember?" he asks. I never realized how deep Tank's voice was before. I laugh at that.

"Right. Where'd she go?" I wonder, looking around. Then it hits me. She's _gone._ Like gone gone.

"I fucked up," I tell him. "I knew what I had, and I let her go. She left me. I can't believe I was such an idiot."

"Okay, Ric, let's get you in the car. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all," he says, hefting me to my feet. I feel a little woozy and the whole room is spinning.

"She left me man. I let her down. How could I be such a bastard?" I ask as Tank puts my arm around his neck. I stumble during my first step. We make it to the door okay. We get outside and I puke. He gets me to the car. I feel tears run down my cheeks.

"I love her Tank. She left. She_ left_. What am I going to do?" I ask my friend. His face is hard to decipher, even though we've been friends a long time.

"I know man. You gotta let her go," he tells me. I roll my eyes. I can't let her go. She's already gone. Gone. Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday, gone like a soldier in the civil war bang bang. Maybe I had too much to drink. I'm singing fucking country songs in my head.

"Get me home," I tell him. He nods. He drives me to Haywood. He helps me out of the car.

"Sorry Ric, I didn't know you'd end up like this." I nod.

"Like what? Drunk?" I ask with a grin. He rolls his eyes. Man, I feel like such a pussy. Crying and babbling like a goddamn girl. What happened to me?

"Ric, you might want to stop talking before the guys catch something on camera," Tank warns me. It sinks in and I keep my mouth shut. He gets me up to seven and leaves me alone in my apartment. Maybe drunk wasn't so bad. I lay down on my bed and close my eyes. At least I don't have Bobby medicating me.

* * *

**A/N: So, whatcha think? Tank getting Ranger drunk...hmm...Ranger's not gonna be happy in the morning. :) Thanks for reading! Tell me what you thought. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I'm back. Sorry it took so long for me to post this. I got writer's block. Then I found out the bump on my dog's leg was cancer and she had to have surgery. They took out the drainage tube Saturday and the staples are still in. They made such a big incision for such a little bump. She's still has to wear the cone of shame, but she feels much better. After taking care of her, I finally found the time to type this chapter out. Hopefully, I can update more regularly. Most likely it won't be everyday. Thanks for all the reviews! I read every single one, even if I didn't reply! **

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the usual suspects. :)_

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_Chapter 10

**Steph's POV**

After leaving the library we decide to go shopping. I see a store I want to go into. It's called J.A. Rivers. I turn to look at Eric with a smile.

"Rivers. I wonder if you'll get a discount because of your last name." His lips press together in a thin line. I cock an eyebrow.

"I probably will," he says seriously. I wasn't expecting this would he get a discount unless he had a card. He couldn't own the store...could he?

"You have a discount card or something?" I ask, wondering why he suddenly looked like bolting. I have no idea why he would react this way to a store.

"No, I own it," he tells me. I check his face to see if he's just kidding. I see nothing to give him away.

"Then, what's the J.A. stand for?" I wonder. He sighs. I almost feel bad for asking, but my curiosity gets the best of me.

"Jamie Alice," he says. "I named it after my sister." My breath catches in my throat. He told me a little about his sister. I wrap my arms around him. His little sister had taken her life after being raped. No one had known until she wrote the note.

"Oh, that's so sweet. We don't have to go in," I tell him. He squeezes me.

"It's alright. I can get you a discount on anything in the store." I grab his hand. He shoots me a grateful smile.

"Why'd you move to Maine if your store is here?" I inquire as we enter the store.

"Well, you know my folks live there. I was tired of running it. So, I hired people to take over. I still make a pretty good profit and I don't actually handle anything. I still design some of the clothes sometimes," he tells me. I look at the different items of clothing. They could be modeled on a runway, but they were stuff you could wear everyday. I run my hand over a rack of the clothes.

"Wow, Eric, I had no idea," I breathe as I take in the fabulous store. A clerk comes out.

"How may I help-Mr. Rivers! What a surprise," the clerk says with wide eyes. Seeing her boss, she seems a little flustered.

"Ms. Riddle, how is the store running?" he asks smoothly, slipping into a business man persona, that I've never seen before.

"Very well, Mr. Rivers. If, you had notified us that you would be dropping by we could have had the design you made ready," Ms. Riddle tells Eric. I realize that I don't know a lot about his past. I had no clue that he owned a clothing store.

"It's alright, I didn't know I'd be stopping by, but I was in the area," he says to her politely. "This is my friend Michelle Parker, do what she asks." Ms. Riddle nods. I look over at Eric.

"Have fun Chelle, I'm going over to the bookstore. Ms. Riddle, Ms. Parker here is to have seventy percent off any merchandise," Eric tells her. My jaw drops and Ms. Riddle's eyes widen.

"What! Eric, no, I want to pay full price after all you've done for me. And, who knows, maybe I won't even buy anything," I protest. I didn't want to take away from his business. He gives me a look.

"It's alright Chelley Bean, you're my friend. You should be happy I didn't just make whatever you want free. We make enough money and I doubt you'll take the whole store," Eric explains. I bite my lip.

"Are you sure? This seems like a lot," I say. He shrugs. "Go for it." He squeezes my arm and pushes me towards the clothes.

After an hour of browsing I finally picked two tops. They're very pretty and the material is so soft I could die. Eric's stuff is pretty expensive and I'm actually glad he gave me a discount. He's too kind. I'll have to model the shirts for him later. I walk over to the book srtore and see Eric in the mystery section. I sneak up on him and tap his shoulder. He jumps up with a book in his hand.

"Jeez louise! Did you have to sneak up on me like that?" he asks with a hand on his heart. I grin.

"You betcha!" I tell him. He just shakes his head and puts the book down.

"You buy anything pretty?" he inquires, looking at the shopping bag in my hand. I smile.

"Of course, there's nothing ugly in your store anyways," I tell him. He rolls his eyes.

_Two Years Later_

"I can't believe it's the end of the school year already," I say, looking over at Naomi and Gregory. Gregory's eating his ice cream messily while Naomi and I enjoy ours. After returning from New York, I had started online classes. It didn't take very long to get my Master's since I already had my Bachelors.

"It flew by," Naomi agrees. "So, you enjoyed working as a teacher?" I nod.

"I definitely love it. I can't wait till next year's class. The kids are all so adorable. And, the troublemakers aren't horrible," I tell her with a smile.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm sure it's probably different than teaching seventh graders," she says with a laugh. I nod.

"Maybe I'll try older kids after next year," I say. "Or I may move back home, but who knows." Naomi looked concerned for a moment.

"Move back home, why?" She wonders not happy at the prospect. We had become close and fast friends.

"Well, the guy I'm in love with lives back home and I have to face my past sometime," I tell her with a sad smile. "I'd come back probably, but who knows."

"Ahh, well I do hope you won't stay gone for long. I know we'll miss you and I know Eric will miss you too," she tells me.

"I know. It's just there are some unresolved issues I have to deal with," I tell her, not wanting to go much further. She didn't need to be burdened by my past. She nods, not pushing for details.

"It's alright. I understand. You should at least stay for the summer. My brother's coming up to his house on the beach. He almost never takes a break from work. He's taking the whole summer off. It's really a wonder." I grin. I know guys like that. All the RangeMen, well four in particular. Bobby, Lester, Tank, and Ranger. Most of the other guys take off sometimes though.

"I can't wait to meet him. We should all have a get together or something so we can all hang out," I inform her. She nods.

"We can have a barbecue at his beach house. It's really nice," she tells me. I nod. She looks over at Gregory.

"Wipe your face baby," she says, taking a napkin and wiping Gregory's face. I smile.

"I'm not a baby, Mama. I can wipe my own face," he says taking the napkin from her.

"When's your brother getting in and why is he just now taking a vacation?" I wonder as I polish off my ice cream cone.

"Says that works becoming too stressful. He told me he's looking for someone, but he's having no luck and it's just wearing him down," she tells me.

"That must be really hard. I hope he finds who ever he's looking for soon," I say.

Two weeks after summer began I receive a call from Naomi.

"Michelle, my brother's gotten in. How does Sunday sound for the barbecue?" she asks.

"You mean tomorrow?" I wonder. I pour myself a glass of orange juice as I sit at the kitchen table.

"Yeah, tomorrow. I'll pick you up at twelve," she tells me. "And, is Eric going to bring Kenny?"

"Of course, you know those two don't go anywhere without each other," I tell her with a smile on my face. A couple months ago Eric had moved out and in with Kenny. They set the date for getting married. It was a good thing that they allow gay marriages in Maine otherwise they'd have to go out of state.

"I know, I was just checking. You never know with those two. It's funny that a couple years ago, I thought you two were dating," she says with a light laugh.

"I remember. That seems so long ago," I tell her remembering how I ended up in Maine. It all seemed so horrible. Now, with all the time passed, it seems sort of silly. I haven't forgiven Ranger, but I don't resent him. If, none of this had happened, I wouldn't be the person I am today.

"It does seem like a long time ago. So, are you going to bring anything tomorrow?" she asks, changing the subject.

"How about some tasty ham biscuits that Maggie taught me how to make," I tell her. "And, I can bring some water melon."

"Sounds great Michelle," Naomi replies. "I'm making some turkey sandwiches and Sebastian makes these delicious Rubenators. It's a Ruben sandwich fried. Mmm...tasty!"

"I can't wait. I'm sure Eric and Kenny will bring some beverages both alcoholic and non," I inform her.

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow Michelle," Naomi says. I say my goodbye and hang up the phone. I make a list of things I'll need from the store to make the ham biscuits. I make the list and head to the store.

The next morning after I have everything made I hear the door bell ring. I run downstairs and grab my beach bag. I get the biscuits that were warming in the oven and grab the watermelon from the fridge. I open the door and see Gregory. I smile.

"Let me just lock the door and I'll meet you in the car," I tell him. I hand him the watermelon and he runs off to the car and I lock up the town house. I head down to the car and get in.

"Hello Michelle," Sebastian greets with a smile.

"Hi guys, you ready to have a great barbecue?" I ask looking over at Gregory. He nods enthusiastically while playing his DS.

"Whatcha playing?" I ask taking a peek at the screen. He looks at me with those big green eyes and I see Les. God, I miss him.

"Mario Kart," he tells me with a smile. I nod and we drive down to the beach house. I'd never seen it before, but I imagine that Les has one quite similar. We all pile out and start getting it ready.

"Is your brother not here yet?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow. I had assumed he'd be here when we got here.

"He ran into town to pick up chips and stuff," she tells me. "He's also going to pick up our mother." I nod.

"So, we're just setting up," I wonder. She nods. We start setting up and she blasts some music through a radio she set up. We get some folding tables that were stored in the house. Eric and Kenny show up a couple minutes later.

"Chelley Bean!" Eric greets, wrapping me in a hug. "You ready to have some fun?"

"Hell yeah!" I look over and see Gregory. "I mean heck yeah! We don't say bad words." I look straight at Gregory as I say the last part. He just grins in a mischievous way that Les always used to. It made me sad to think that it's been two years since I've seen him. I guess I should have faced my past a while ago, but I've finally found myself. I'm ready to face everything, just as soon as this party is over.

"So, what did you bring?" I wonder looking over at the bag in Kenny's hand.

"We bought some sweet red wine, Firefly Vodka Sweet Tea flavor and some kool aide for the kid," Kenny says. "Hey sunshine, how ya doing?" He hugs me and I take in his outfit. Kenny's outfit is bright he has brilliant orange shorts with a light blue v-neck t-shirt. Eric is just wearing board shorts and a t-shirt. We get the drinks in the cooler and the adults have the wine. We're just waiting on Naomi's brother and her parents. We put up a volleyball net and get a game going with a beach ball. We hear a car pull up and people start making their way towards the back of the house. They get closer and I realize the youngest looks familiar. My heart beats faster and my breath catches in my throat. I take off running and fling myself into his arms. He holds me tight as tears run down my face and I ruin his perfectly good shirt.

* * *

**All the food mentioned is real. And, delicious. Especially those Rubenators! :) My cousin makes them and they are delicious. So, a reunion. :) I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reading, please review! **


	11. Chapter 11

**So, I'm back...for the time being. My dog is fine. :) She just got hives but they're long gone. Then, I got writer's block and I had a bunch of RL stuff to deal with. I'm sure this chapter will probably be a little anticlimactic. I'm sorry, but I'm not very good at writing the lemons. **

_Disclaimer: I own none of the usual suspects. :)_

**Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 11

**Steph's POV**_  
_

He pulls me back and we gaze into each others eyes. He lowers his mouth to mine and we fuse together for a passionate first kiss. My arms wrap around his neck and I'm on my tippy toes. He pulls back and we're both breathing heavily.

"Beautiful," he whispers, voice cracking and tears in his eyes. It makes more tears run down mine.

"Les," I say at loss for words. "I've missed you." He pulls me into a hug.

"You've been here all along?" he questions. I nod and my yes is muffled by his shirt.

"Uncle Lester!" Gregory shouts running up to the scene not knowing what just happened.

"Do you know Michelle?" he asks looking up at his uncle. Les' mouth curves into a wry smile.

"Michelle, eh?" his eyes slide over to mine. I blush and nod. "I know her, alright. She's been a pain in my backside for two years." Gregory's eyebrows knit together in confusion. He shakes it off and grins up at his uncle. I know everyone else is looking at us in confusion, with the exception of Eric. He knows the story and I'm sure he's put two and two together.

"Hey buddy," Les wraps an arm around his nephew, but he doesn't loosen his arm from my shoulder.

"Let's go say hi to your mom," he suggests, moving us towards Naomi.

"I was going to suggest hooking you up to my brother, but you told me you were in love with someone," she says. "Now I see the same thing has happened to him." I give her a small smile.

"Let's get this party started," I say weakly. "Turn up the music!" She laughs, knowing I'll spill everything later. Everyone starts talking and Sebastian starts up the grill and the fryer. Lester's hand never leaves my own. It's like he thinks I'm going to disappear at any moment. Some of Gregory's friends come with their parents. Les and I grab some seats and settle down to chat.

"I can't believe you're the Michelle Naomi talked about," he says with a rueful smile. "If, I had known..." He sighs and looks me in the eyes. I get lost in the brilliance and startling intensity I see.

"Les..." I begin, not sure what to say. "I'm glad you found me first." He chuckles lightly.

"Only by chance. We never would have found you. We tracked your letter and looked for anything. We finally checked the airlines but you won't believe how many women have first names with S and last names that start with P," he tells me. "We taught you too well." I squeeze his hand.

"I think it was all for the best. I know you guys were upset, but I had to do this." He looks at me with an understanding in his eyes.

"I would have helped you," he tells me. That makes tears spring to my eyes. He plants a quick kiss on my lips. I sigh. "I love you." He looks around quickly and pulls me halfway onto his lap. He brushes a stray curl out of my face.

"God, I love you." He then leans in and plants a fiery kiss on my lips. I moan and wrap my hands around his neck. My hands tangle into his hair and his moves me so I'm straddling him. He pulls back and leans his forehead against mine. We hear a voice clear and look up to see Eric standing there with an 'are you going to introduce us' face. I smile and stand up.

"Les, this is Eric," I say with a smile. "Eric, this is Lester Santos. I believe I told you about him." Eric nods and holds out his hand.

"Nice to finally meet you," Eric says with his killer smile. Eric turns to me and crooks a finger. I walk over and he wraps an arm around my shoulders. He leans down and whispers in my ear, "You didn't think to mention that this man is _sexy_?" I burst out laughing. Les is eyeing us. My mouth curves into a smile as I look over Les. He's still lean and buff. His hair cut short, just barely brushing the middle of his ears.

"It's a good thing you have Kenny, isn't it?" I say cutting my eyes over to Kenny who's trying to play volleyball with Sebastian. Eric follows my gaze and a smile ghosts his lips.

"Yeah," he says it almost wistfully. "I'm lucky to have found him." Les' brows furrowed, not knowing what we're talking about.

"Eric is getting married to Kenny soon," I tell him with a smile. Les grins cordially.

"Congrats man!" Les claps him on the back. Les seems to be taking this in stride. Eric catches my eye, and I know he likes Les.

"Thanks Lester," Eric replies, watching Kenny do a painful looking dive for the volleyball.

"I'll be back." Eric rushes over to Kenny to make sure he's okay. Les turns to me with a smile on his face.

"So, that's your roommate?" he asks with a grin. I nod. He grabs my hand and we walk over towards Naomi.

"How do you guys know each other?" she asks right off the bat. I look at Les.

"We used to work together. And, she's married to my boss," Lester says right out. I look at him and contemplate smacking him. Naomi looks at us.

"What? You're married to his boss?" she questions, not happy about it. I bite my lip.

"Separated and I never wanted to marry him," I inform, setting her straight. She looks between the two of us.

"There's something you guys aren't telling me," she states.

"I know, but trust me Naomi, I love your brother," I tell her as I squeeze Les' hand. She squints her eyes at both of us.

"Alright, but if you hurt him..." She lets the threat hang. I nod. Les just rolls his eyes.

"Naomi, chill. Just because your my big sister doesn't mean you have to go all protective on me. I love Steph, okay? Nothing's going to change that," he tells her. "Besides she'll be divorced soon anyways."

"Yes, I do. Now, I'm good friends with Michelle, but if she's just stringing you along, I'll do something about it," Naomi explains to him.

"I understand Naomi. Family comes first, but trust me, I wouldn't do anything to hurt Lester," I inform her. She nods and grabs my arm.

"I expect a full explanation soon," she whispers in my ear. She wraps me in a small hug. I nod.

"I promise." At that moment Sebastian announced that he had finished grilling.

We eat and all hang out together. I meet Les and Naomi's parents. They seem glad that Lester is interested in me. We finish up and Eric and Kenny decide to head home around nine. We start cleaning up.

"We can take Mom and Dad home," Naomi tells Les, her eyes cutting between the two of us. They head out and Les and I are alone together. He holds out his hand. I grab it and we head inside. He turns on the lights and gets two glasses of wine. We sit on the couch and it's a moment before either of us speak.

"How? How did you do it?" he asks me, completely serious. I let out a heavy sigh.

"It wasn't easy. Everyday...was an internal struggle. I just kept telling myself that the past is the past and that this would make me stronger," I tell him. "I was right. Then, along the way, I realized I had fallen in love with you." He smiles softly at me.

"When I got your first email, my heart stopped and I didn't know what to think. Was I lucky or was it misery? Yes, I knew you were safe, but I had no idea where you were." He grabs my hand and squeezes it. I look up.

"We searched so hard when your first letters came. We knew they came from Ohio. We sent guys and checked all the airports that were close by. Do you know how many people were flying to Ohio?" I shake my head. I never really thought that a lot of people had been going to Ohio, and not just from Maine.

"A lot. And, you wouldn't believe how many have the first initial S and the last initial P and we didn't even know for sure if you kept your initials or if you were going by your middle name. We tracked down some leads but they were mostly the ones with S as the first initial. I guess Michelle Diane Parker was low on the list because it wasn't an S," he informs me.

"I'm sorry you guys went through that, but I did tell you not to look for me," I remind him. He gives me the 'you know better' look.

"We all love you Steph, just not all of us have a romantic interest. We couldn't just stop looking for you," he tells me, looking into my eyes. I get lost in sea of green. He leans forward and our lips touch. Tentatively at first, but the passion rages and neither of us wish to ignore it. His warm lips cover mine and my hands tangle in his hair. He stands up and my legs wrap around his waist. He makes his way upstairs with our lips still locked. We fall into bed and I'm left wondering why this didn't happen sooner.

In the morning I wake to the smell of coffee and waffles. My nose guides me down the stairs into Les' very beautiful kitchen. The sun shining in making it really light up with the golden yellow walls. Les is whistling when I walk up behind him and put my hands around his waist.

"Morning beautiful!" he says cheerfully. "Coffee? Waffles?" He points toward the pot and a plate with two waffles on it.

"Yes, please!" I say, fixing myself a cup and getting my waffles ready to eat. I sit at the bar and watch as he finishes cooking his own waffles. I gobble mine up. I probably moaned every bite. He finishes making his and takes a seat beside me.

"So, when do you want to go back to Trenton?" he asks me while taking a bite of his waffles.

"I was thinking today," I tell him with a grin. He chokes on his waffles for a second.

"Today?" He looks at me like I'm crazy, which could be possible. I nod.

"Why not get it out of the way? I like it up here in Maine and I don't know if I'll move back," I inform him. He nods and looks around.

"I really like it too, but with my job being in Trenton, I couldn't be up here all the time. I might have to make some changes," he says and looks me straight in the eye. I know that I'm partially the reason.

We finish up and get ready for a road trip. Les decides to drive. An hour or two into the drive, Les decides to speak.

"Steph...things have changed since you left," he tells me and I can see he's nervous. I look over at him.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," I reply truthfully. I lived my life, it's only right that everyone else would live theirs. He starts to speak and then stops. I wait patiently for him to string his sentence together. Many of my students have to pause before getting everything right.

"Steph...Ranger...well a year after you left he found someone. His secretary in fact. She seems to understand him and he understands her," he tells me. I look over at Les with a genuine smile.

"When did he get a secretary?"

"Tank convinced him to get one a month or two after you left."

"That's great. I can't wait to meet her. Look Les, I know you're worried about this, but don't be. We're all different people now. I have you and Ranger has someone. It couldn't have worked out more perfectly," I say from the bottom of my heart. I really am truly happy for Ranger. After I thought about things, I had wanted him to find someone who suited it. It just took a little while for me to see that I wasn't the person for him.

"Steph, I don't know how he'll react to seeing you. Hell, I had no clue I would find you up in Maine," he tells me seriously. I nod and shrug.

"If, he's really got someone, we'll all be fine. I might even be able to except him as a friend again, although we'll really have to see about that," I inform him as I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. He brings my hand to his lips and gives me a kiss.

"It'll all work out," he murmurs as though to comfort me, but I feel it's more for him.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for sticking with me even with my sporadic postings. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but no promises. I'm going to a Bright Eyes concert Sunday and I'm busy Saturday. Hopefully, I'll be able to update next week. **


	12. Chapter 12

**You guys are probably like 'where'd you go?' Yeah, sorry about that. I don't really have an explanation other than I didn't feel like doing anything. So, I hope you guys are still looking for more of this story. I don't think there will be many more chapters though. Thanks for all the reviews. :) **

Disclaimer: I don't own the usual suspects. :)

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12

**Steph's POV**

We make it to Trenton and Les looks over at me.

"You're sure?" he asks. "We can always go somewhere else first." I shake my head. I need to get this over with. I can't have this hanging over my head. He sighs and nods. We pull into the RangeMan garage and I'm thankful for the tinted windows. He parks the car and stops the engine. He turns to look at me. He pulls me to him and our mouths are together. It's love, lust, passion, and everything we didn't say aloud. He's saying I'll love you no matter what and I'll be here for you, I'm worried for you. I return it with my own feelings and tell him it will be all right. I don't know how long we stayed there but it was magical and beautiful. With that single kiss we shared so much it almost brought tears to my eyes. I am so glad we found each other again. Nothing could ever compare to this. Right here in this moment, we were everything to each other. He pulls back and looks into my eyes. His thumb is on my chin tilting my face toward his.

"That was...I love you," he whispers as though he thinks talking will ruin the moment. I inhale and reply, "I love you too. Let's do this." He nods and opens his door. I open mine at the same time and I realize it's good to be back. The familiar garage is a comfort. At least I'm not out of my comfort zone. I walk around to the other side of the car and he clasps my hand. I squeeze and soak up his warmth and strength. He's all I need. I smile up at him. We hear a commotion upstairs and wonder what could be going on. Of course, I figure it's because I've finally returned. We push the button for the elevator and I almost expect to see the Merry Men inside. It's thankfully empty. We enter and head up. The ride takes longer than I can remember. I get more nervous as we near the floor. Les squeezes my hand because he can tell I'm uneasy. The elevator slows to a stop and I take a final look at Lester. He sends a grin my way to ease my fluttering nerves. The elevators open and we see the whole hall crowded. Many smiling faces greet us.

"Bombshell! Stephanie! Bomber!" Everyone is talking at once and I can barely understand it all. I'm overloaded with the sights and sounds of all my old friends. It's a sea of black as they all reach to hug me. I am enveloped into strong muscled arms. Tears leak out of my eyes as I realize how much I missed them all.

"Guys," I squeak out. "It's so good to see you again. Would you mind putting me down?" I hear a chuckle and I'm set down.

"Where have you been?" a voice booms and I know who it is instantly. I smile looking up at my friend Tank.

"On a soul searching mission, but I'd like to report that I've found it," I tell him. He looks down at me. There's an emotion there that I can't describe. It's almost bittersweet but not quite.

"I'm glad you found it," Tank replies with a smile. Les makes his way through to my side.

"Les, man, what are you doing back from Maine so soon?" Bobby asks looking confused. His head swivels between us.

"I found a little something and thought I'd share," Les says with a grin cocking his head in my direction. Bobby's eyes light up as he realizes what Les meant.

"Sharing is caring after all." I roll my eyes. The room goes silent and I look toward the right just as a voice reaches my ears.

"Stephanie?" his voice cracks and I can hear the raw emotion. He's looking at me with disbelieving eyes. He makes his way toward me his dark eyes never leaving mine.

"You're back?" he questions as he reaches out and touches my face. I look at him sadly.

"Not for good." He sighs and drops his hand. Many of the Merry Men have disappeared by then.

"We need to talk," he says with a tiny smile. I nod knowing this was coming. I look over at Les and his body is angled so I can tell he's a bit protective. I put a hand on his chest.

"It's okay Lester, I have to do this." I kiss his cheek and turn toward Ranger. He holds out his hand and I take it. We make our way to the elevator and head up to seven. When the elevator doors close I can see Les staring at us. I smile. We make it up to seven and he enters the apartment. I follow. We end up in his living room and I notice some differences. A new sofa, a slightly warmer color on the wall, more pictures. I can see there's one of me, but there are more with him and a woman. From what I can tell she's pretty with long dark hair and slightly dark skin. They look like a good match. I turn to face him.

"Babe," he whispers sinking to the couch. I sit down next to him and grab his hand. In the silence all of our mistakes float to the top of my brain. Everything we did wrong. How we ended up here about to say our final goodbye. I know now that I still trust him, love him. I'm almost sorry this had to happen but I know I belong with Lester. I know Ranger belongs with the dark hair women in the picture even though I haven't met her. My voice cuts through the silence first.

"I'm sorry," I whisper making a ripple in the air. His eyes shoot up to mine.

"You're sorry? For what? It's my fault," he tells me standing up and running a hand through his hair. I shake my head.

"I know better. It's both of our fault. We let this happen. We're both to blame," I inform him. "You can't just blame yourself." He closes his eyes and sighs.

"I know but you left because of what I did." I take a deep breath clearing my mind.

"I didn't have to leave although I know/knew it was the right thing. We both needed time."

"We wouldn't have if I hadn't forced you to marry me," he says taking the blame again.

"Ranger! Get it through you thick skull; this wasn't your fault! I thought it was for the longest time, but I know now. This wasn't about you. That was just an excuse. It was about me. I needed to find myself. I did it Ranger," I tell at him my voice drops. "I did it. I found myself." He wraps me in a hug.

"I'm so proud of you Babe." He places a kiss on my forehead.

"I have to admit those first couple of months were hard even though I hadn't seen you for a while. I missed everyone. I kept thinking about you and Les."

"I thought about you too. I was so mad at myself for letting you get away, for clipping your wings. I saw how it effected everyone. Les was the worst though. He was taken to the hospital for being careless when handling a skip."

"I went to Maine. I met this guy named Eric and now we're close friends. I met Naomi, who it turns out is Les' sister. Her little boy is the cutest," I inform him. "I took online classes and I'm now a third grade teacher." Ranger looks at me with his intense eyes.

"A teacher?" he questions. I nod. "I really love it. It's different everyday but not dangerous." He nods.

"I'm glad you're happy," he says. "I finally am happy too. Tank made me hire a secretary. He did the interviews because really I couldn't give a shit." I nod, knowing about it.

"Then, I see her. I really see her after a week or two. She's not shy but isn't overly obnoxious. Sweet but tough. Her father was in the Army so she knows what it's like when I can't share information. I almost passed out I was so nervous when I asked her out." He takes a deep breath and gives a shaky laugh.

"She said no at first. She said I wasn't ready but that she would be there when I was," he smiles at the recollection. "Then, one day she asked me." I smile.

"She sounds really sweet. I can't wait to meet her. I realized when I left how much I needed and depended on Lester. Eric made me see how much I loved him. Then he showed up...it was like coming home." Ranger squeezes my hand.

"I guess it all works out," he says with a bittersweet smile. We both lost something but gained even more.

"We just have one more thing," I tell him. He tells me to wait a minute and he runs into his study. He comes back out with paper in his hand. He hands it to me and I see it's our divorce papers. He still has his ESP. I look up and hug him.

"Thank you Ranger," I whisper, genuinely happy. "I'll always love you."

"Always Babe." He brushes his lips over mine. "I have something to show you." He leads me to his bedroom and walks over to his closet. The one that I had filled with shoes. I hoped he had returned them all. He opens his and I see one pair in his closet. One pair of black woman's heels.

"Those are the shoes I had on for the kidnapping. These were the pair that made me never buy another pair of black shoes." I look at Ranger curiously.

"They were the only pair of black in the whole closet," he says. "I kept them to remind me of why all this happened. It almost seems silly now."  
"Almost." He bends down a picks up the left shoe. He hands it to me.

"Take this. I'll keep this one. We'll always know what it means." Tears well up in my eyes. This is it. The final goodbye. He pulls me into a hug and we stand there together. He presses a kiss into my hair. He walks me to the door and I press a kiss on his lips before exiting. My heart feels lighter after my conversation with Ranger. We've both grown since this fiasco. I think we're both glad it has finally ended. I make my way downstairs and to Les' arms.

"Come on Beautiful. It's been a long drive, let's go to my apartment." I nod into his shoulder. We walk down to his apartment. I drop the shoe on the ground and I'm happy when Les doesn't question it. He lays down on the bed and pulls me to him. He traces a pattern down my shoulder and it soothes me to sleep.

I wake up to an empty apartment. I stretch and get up. I wander upstairs. I see a desk in front of the elevator that I hadn't noticed before. A very pretty woman was sitting behind it. I could tell it was the woman from Ranger's photos. I see a name plate. It says Anita. A pretty name for a pretty lady. I almost feel awkward talking to her. I don't really have a choice since either way I pass by her. I walk up to her desk.

"Excuse me, Anita, but do you know where Lester is?" I ask looking down at her name plate and back up to her eyes. She has warm brown eyes and I can see flecks of gold.

"You are?" she asks clearly a little confused. I smile apologetically.

"Mich...I mean Stephanie Plum," I tell her almost saying the name I had gone by for more than a year. Her eyes widen and I can see the truth in her eyes. She smiles.

"It's great to finally meet you Stephanie, I've heard so much about you. I think Lester's in the gym," she informs me. I nod.

"Thanks. I'll see you around." She nods and I can feel her eyes on me as I get in the elevator. I head to the gym. When I get there I see Les working out on the punching bags. I walk up and wrap my arms around his waist.

"I was surprised to find the apartment empty when I woke. I was wondering where you got to. Anita pointed me in the right direction," I tell him as I lay my head on his shoulder. I can feel a sheen of sweat but I don't mind. He stops punching and turns to wrap his arms around me.

"I just needed to exercise. I thought I'd be back before you woke up," he tells me with a grin. I lean up and give him a kiss. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer.

"I missed you," he murmurs. I look into his green eyes.

"It's only been an hour or two," I tell him shaking my head. He grins.

"I know, but I have time to make up for." He leans down and plants a kiss on my lips again.

* * *

**Ranger's POV**

Seeing Steph back was almost like seeing a ghost. I think it was good...almost therapeutic that we saw each other. I had come to peace with everything that happened, although I still ultimately thought it was my fault. It was good to see her again. We've both changed a lot. It was almost like fate that Anita was out when Steph showed up. It was beneficial that we talked. We both realized some things.

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**Longer? Possibly next time. Thanks for reading. Tell me what you think. :) **


	13. Chapter 13

_Hey guys, thanks for sticking with me. This chapter is really super duper short. I'm sorry. I had to cut it there. The next chapter will be the last. So, I hope you'll forgive me. :) Enjoy! _

**Disclaimer: I own none of the usual suspects. **

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 13

**Ranger's POV**

I head down to see if Anita was back yet. I was gladly surprised to see her at her desk. I knew she had the rest of the day off. So, why is she still here? She's really interested in the computer screen in front of her.

"Excuse me ma'am but don't you have the day off?" I ask with my elbows on the desk. She looks up with a grin.

"Carlos, I do have the rest of the day off, but I needed to finish up some stuff," she tells me with a soft smile.

"Are you done now? Or do you need the boss to tell you that you're done?" I ask her with a grin. She looks at her computer screen and clicks something.

"All done." She gets up from her desk and comes around to the front. I pull her to me and give her a kiss.

"So, Stephanie's back," she says calmly waiting for an explanation. I nod.

"Apparently she ran into Lester and now they're here together. I believe the guys were planning on going to Shorty's tonight. Are you up for it?" I inform her hoping that she knows I love her. She nods.

"I better get to know her," Anita tells me with a shrug. "Besides, everything between you two is in the past, right?" I nod.

"We talked and I think we've both realized we were wrong," I say to her. It's true. We both know we were wrong. I just need to fully realize that I'm not fully to blame.

"I love you Carlos," she tells me with a smile. I nod, knowing it's true.

"Love you too." I plant a kiss on her lips. I wrap my arm around her shoulder.

"I'm going to go change." I nod and we head up to seven together.

* * *

**Steph's POV**

"I haven't trained in a while," I tell Les as I look around the gym. It's been too long. Strange enough I've stayed in shape. I do the occasional jog, but not much else.

"Wanna spar?" Les asks, looking over at the matts. I shrug. We're about to walk over when some of the guys come over. Looks like we won't get that spar in.

"Bombshell, we missed you and need more time with you. We're going to Shorty's. You are too, even if we have to kidnap you," Woody tells me in an almost whiney voice. Talk about tough. The other guys nod to show they agree. I fake a sigh.

"If, you insist." I then bolt to the other side of the gym to the stairs. I don't hear anything for a second before everyone jumps into action. Of course, being the Army men they are they make a plan first. I'm up the stairs before the first guy gets to the bottom of the stairs. I dart up another stair case. When I get to the top I'm panting, but it's okay because I'm getting out on that floor. I head into the office area and head to the control room.

"Hey guys, don't tell anyone where I am, 'kay?" I ask to make sure they're all on board. They nod and I head to the cubicles before I hear some guys get onto this floor. I dart in and out of the cubes and make my way stealthily along. I duck into Les' cubicle and hide underneath the desk. I pull his wheely chair in front of me and his trash can. I then listen carefully as I try and slow my breathing. I hear footsteps. Not good and not bad...unless they decide to check under this exact desk. Closer and closer they come...forcing me to almost stop breathing altogether. I close my eyes willing them not to be able to see me since I cannot see them. I hear whisperings but I cannot decipher them they are too quiet for even someone with perfect hearing. In one quick movement the chair is pulled away and someone shouts, "BOO!" I let out a tiny yelp. My eyes flash open and I turn to see Bobby grinning at me.

"Come on Steph, you had to know we'd have an idea of which desk you'd hide underneath," he says with a grin. "Guys! I found her." He offers a hand to help me up. I grab it and stand up in one fluid motion.

We head out to Shorty's a couple minutes later. The drive there is comfortable. I ride with Bobby, Les, Tank, and Ram. They're filling me in on what I've missed. It's good to be with the guys again. I never realized how much I missed them. We got to Shorty's quickly and we all filed in. I saw that Ranger and Anita have also joined our entourage. We got a table big enough to fit all of us and we had a ball.

It was probably around eleven by the time we started to head back to RangeMan. I had had a couple of beers, but nothing too serious. Some of the guys though...may have trouble remembering things in the morning. Les put his arm around me and I snuggled into his chest.

"Baby, can you wake up?" Les asks me quietly. I yawn and open my eyes even though they feel like they're made of lead.

"Mmm?" I groan as I stretch and begin to wake up. I look over to my right and see we're pulling into the RangeMan garage. I sit up as Ram pulls us into the parking space. We get out and Les grabs my hand as we head up to his apartment.

We've be staying in Trenton for a while. I caught up with all my old friends but there's nothing really to keep me except for Les and we'd been going over some possibilities. I have been getting to know Anita and I found out she's really great. She's perfect Ranger material. She doesn't push for information and she doesn't get upset easily. And, the best part of all is that they love each other. The love Ranger and I could never have. The love that Les and I share. Beautiful, free, and unwavering. I spent time with all the of the guys as equally as possible. I even resumed my bounty hunter work for the time that we've been in Trenton. Les is going to talk to Ranger this afternoon and we'll probably be leaving tomorrow. I still need to talk to Naomi about this whole thing.


	14. The End

_The last chapter. Sniff sniff. Aw, well it had to end sometime. This chapter is the longest. So, be happy. :) Thanks for everyone who stuck it through to the end. I hope you like it. _

**Disclaimer: I only own the ones that you don't recognize. **

_Enjoy!_

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Chapter 14

**Steph's POV**

_Five Years Later_

"Mommy! Mommy! Do I look okay?" Eli asks running into our room. I turn with a smile on my face. He's dressed in a mini tux with a black bow tie. His bow is crooked.

"Let me just fix one thing," I tell him with a smile. He comes over and I bend down as far as I can which isn't much since I'm seven months pregnant. I straighten his bow.

"Honey, you look really handsome," I inform him. He grins at me. I hear the shower turn off and I send Eli to go get his shoes. Les comes out of the bathroom.

"Baby, do you know where I put my cuff links?" he asks putting his arm around me and his other hand on my stomach.

"I put them on your night stand," I let him know. He bends down and kisses me. I moan and his fingers tangle in my hair. The kiss deepens and I don't hear the little feet running back into our room.

"Ewww!" Eli giggles. Les pulls back and chuckles. He heads over to the night stand and grabs his cuff links. Eli goes to sit in the chair in the corner of the room so he can put his shoes on. Les aka Mr. Mom has already taught Eli to tie his shoes. It's a good thing since I wouldn't be able to help him. I'm wearing a sapphire maternity dress with matching sandals with no heel. Eli is a mini Les and they look so cute standing next to each other.

"All right gang, you guys ready?" I ask my men. They both nod. We head down to the garage. We wouldn't want to be late for the wedding. It's going to be at one of Trenton's local churches. It will be a fairly small crowd and we'll end up at the recreation center for the reception. RangeMan rented it out. Les and Eli are dropping me off at the hotel so I can help Anita get ready. We get into the SUV and head out. Les drops me off and I say goodbye. I head inside the hotel and make my way to Anita's room. Inside is a flurry of activity. Her other bridesmaids are fluttering around her. Her mom is helping her put the pins in her hair. She looks in the mirror and catches sight of me. She exhales.

"Steph! I thought you'd never it make it," she says looking only slightly panicked.

"Sorry, you know I have two boys to take care of," I tell her with a smile. She nods. I step up beside her. She looks beautiful. Neither her nor Ranger wanted a big wedding. In total it would only amount to seventy or eighty people. I get the privilege of being matron of honor. Eli is the ring bearer and Anita's friend Janice has a daughter who will be flower girl. I help some bridesmaids into their dresses and once everyone is ready we get into a car to head to the church. I'm sitting on one side of Anita.

"How did you feel when you were about to marry Lester?" she asks her eyes cutting over to mine.

"Pretty nervous, but more excited because I knew I was marrying the right guy," I say squeezing her hand. She nods.

"That's pretty much how I feel. I guess I never really imagined this happening," she tells me with a laugh.

"Why not?" I wonder, looking at the woman I had gotten to know and gotten to love as a friend.

"Well, when I first met him, he was still in love with you and when he asked me out he was still in love with you. I just didn't think it would happen," she tells me with a small smile. "But, it all worked out." I nod. We both got the man of our dreams. We pull into the parking lot and the rest is pretty much a blur. The ceremony goes by quickly and the next thing I know, we're at the reception. I'm sitting down on a chair since my feet started hurting. A lot of people are out on the dance floor. Eli is dancing with Grandma Mazur and Les is dancing with Anita. I hear someone come up beside me. I look up to see Ranger. I smile.

"Hey married man, how does it feel?" I ask while patting the seat next to mine. He smiles and sits down. We both stare out. I'm watching Les and my eyes drift to Eli and finally to Ranger. He's watching Anita.

"It feels good. Hard to believe this is the way it turned out, huh?" he asks looking over at me. I nod, watching my husband make a fool of himself during the Cha Cha Slide.

"Once upon a time I thought it would be us," I tell him. "We're lucky it's not, otherwise we'd be miserable." He laughs, knowing all too well.

"Do you ever regret it?" he wonders still staring at his beautiful wife. I sigh.

"Sometimes, but then I look at my husband and my beautiful son and I realize it was meant to be. All those years ago was just the path we had to follow to get here," I say. "Even if we had gotten married the right way, we still wouldn't have been happy." He nods in understanding.

Les walks over with a grin. He holds out his hand and pulls me onto the dance floor for a slow song. I slipped off my shoes while I was sitting down so I'm barefoot. I rest my head against his shoulder and let him lead. He sways us and moves his feet a little. My eyes drift shut and I relax against his warm body.

"I love you Baby," he whispers. I smile against his shirt.

"I love you too," I whisper back. I feel someone hug my legs. I open my eyes and see Eli standing there. Les smile and picks him up.

"Hey buddy, you getting tired?" I ask him. He shakes his head but his eyes start drooping. I smile.

"I guess that's our cue," I whisper to Les. I look over at Eli and he's already asleep on his father's shoulder. We say our goodbyes and head off to RangeMan. We'll head home in the morning.

We pack the car and head back to Maine. Five years ago Les talked to Ranger about opening up a RangeMan up there. Les headed that operation and became the head honcho. They also pulled some strings so I could keep my teaching job and degree but in the name of Stephanie Santos. Les and I got married in Trenton two weeks after we'd been there. A couple weeks later I found out I was pregnant. Naomi was happy to see Les and I happy. She also didn't hold a grudge about me not spilling my past. Everything went back to normal except for the fact that I was pregnant and married. Now, I'm pregnant again. A blessing and a curse. Hopefully my last one, but I'm sure I won't get that lucky. Les wants a houseful, but I actually don't mind that much.

_One Year Later_

"Get the diaper bag! We have to go!" I yell at my husband as I scoop up the baby.

"Don't yell! You'll wake Eli up," he tells me as he slings the blue bag over his shoulder. On the other he has a sleeping Eli.

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm going to be there for the birth of that baby!" I inform him with daggers shooting out of of my eyes. He puts his hands up.

"I know, but why do we have to leave at five in the morning?" he asks as we head to the garage. We leave the house and we're on the road at five ten.

"We're leaving this early because she's gonna start pushing any minute now. I have to be there since she's naming the baby after me!" I let him know.

"I know that Steph, but do you really think she'll hold it against you? We have two kids and you're two months pregnant," he says softly, grabbing my hand. I sigh.

"I guess not, but I'd like to be there. I'm going to be the godmother," I say. He nods.

"I know Baby, but little Steph won't remember that you weren't there the exact moment she came into the world," he tells me with a small smile. I nod and drift off to sleep.

I wake up to soft kisses being pressed on my neck. I open my eyes and see Les.

"Morning Baby, we're here," he whispers, pressing a kiss to my lips. I smile and he helps me out of the car. Eli is already at the doors.

"You go take Eli inside and I'll get Carlos," I say with a smile. He raises an eyebrow in question.

"I'll be fine, but I think you're son is a little impatient...and has to pee," I inform him with a smile. He sighs.

"All right, here are the keys." He presses them into my hand and walks toward Eli. I get out of the car and stretch. I head to the back to get Carlos out of his car seat. Carlos Anthony Santos. Named after his godfather and his grandfather Santos. Elliot Frank Santos named after one of Les' army buddies who saved his life and died in action. His middle name is after my father. Hopefully our new little bean would be a girl so I wouldn't be the only one. I unbuckle Carlos who is now awake. He smiles at me. I heft him up and settle him on my hip while I grab the diaper bag. I shut the door and lock the car and head inside.

"All right Anita, are you ready to push?" the doctor asks as Anita grips my hands tightly. She nods her head and grits her teeth. It seems like only a couple minutes later little Steph's out. Ranger cuts the umbilical cord. Once she gets cleaned up, Anita gets to hold her. We all gather round and look at tiny Stephanie who turned into Stefano when they realized it was actually a boy. Guess the doctors got that one wrong.

_Twelve Years Later_

"I can't believe he's graduating already," I say to Naomi who is helping me pick out the twins' outfits. They're going to be eleven in a week but they need some nice outfits for Eli's graduation. My eyes well up with tears. My little boy all grown up. Carlos still has five more years, thank goodness. Once the twins are gone we'll be all alone in our house.

"I know, seems like just yesterday Gregory was teaching him to play soccer. Now look, Gregory's almost done with college," Naomi tells me, "At least you still have a few more years until they all leave."

"I know, I should count my blessings, but they'll all visit," I say as I find a nice dress for Victoria. Victoria Michelle Santos and Steven Eric Santos. We were surprised to find out I was pregnant with twins. That was quite a shock, but a good one. When Stefano turned four, Carlos and Anita, moved out to Maine. Since his parents live there and it's a better environment for raising kids, they figured it would be nice. A year after Stefano was born Tank and Lula got married. Connie eloped in Vegas with Bobby. Just call it a Merry Wedding...for everyone. Grandma Mazur passed when Carlos turned six. So many things happened in the past twelve years it's hard to believe we made it through. Now, here we are about to send Eli off to college. Naomi catches my attention and points out a nice outfit for Steven. Once I get them paid for we head out. Tomorrow's the big day. Gregory's coming in for the graduation. I drop Naomi off at her house and head home. I see an unfamiliar car in the driveway. I park and go investigate. I find Kenny and Eric in the kitchen.

"Chelley Bean!" Eric greets standing up for a hug. I get swallowed in the bear hug I receive.

"Glad you could make it! Eli will be excited to see you two," I tell them, glad to see my old friends. They moved to Vermont when the twins were eight. They got married.

"Hey Sunshine, good to see you," Kenny says also wrapping me in a hug. Carlos runs into the kitchen.

"Hey Mom, hey Uncle Kenny, Uncle Eric, I'm going over to Tim's house, 'kay?" he says, grabbing a drink from the fridge. I roll my eyes.

"All right, be back before dinner," I tell him. "And, if you see your sister tell her to pick up her room. I can see it from the living room." He nods and heads out the door.

"Kids these days," Eric says with a chuckle. I get Eric and Kenny settled in the guest bedroom and find Victoria painting her nails in the bathroom.

"Tori, you need to pick up your room, we're having guests tomorrow. And, Uncle Eric and Kenny are here." She picks her head up.

"They are!" she squeals and forgets the nail polish. I hear her greet them with enthusiasm. I find Steven in his room on his Xbox.

"Steven, you also need to pick up your room. I got you an outfit for tomorrow, I'm setting it on your dresser." He doesn't look over at me.

"Okay Mom." I roll my eyes and head downstairs. The doorbell rings and I go get it. My parents are standing on the porch.

"Mom, Dad, nice to see you. Come in, you're in the guest house," I tell them, not sure they could deal with the chaos of this house. We had all mended our relationship and now we get along comfortably. After we had Carlos, Les and I bought a bigger house with a guest house. The guest house splits so my parents could stay in one side and Valerie's family can stay in the other. Eric and Kenny prefer the guest bedroom because they like being in the thick of our full house. After Mom and Dad are taken to the guest house the doorbell rings again. This time it's Valerie, Albert and the girls. Only they're all grown up.

"Hey Auntie Steph," they say in unison. I smile.

"Hi girls, you know where to put your stuff, right?" I ask. They all nod and head inside. I hear something going on out front and see Les and Eli playing basketball.

"Come on Pops, you can't be that old," Eli tells Lester as he makes a shot.

"I'm not that old. I'm like fine wine, I get better with age," Les remarks as he goes toward the hoop. Eli, who's taller then Les blocks his shot.

"Damn kid! When did you get so tall?" Les asks looking up at Eli. Eli grins down at his father.

"Hey you two, the pizza should be here any minute. I suggest you guys go wash up," I tell them.

"I call a rematch after dinner," Les argues as my son toss the ball and it makes it into the basket.

"Whatever Dad, I'll still win," Eli taunts with a grin that reminds me of a younger Les. They look so much alike. If, Les were twenty years younger they could be twins. Lester wraps an arm around my waist. He leans over and plants a kiss on my lips. We hear a honk and look up to see Ranger and Anita pulling into the driveway.

"Jeez, you two need to stop doing that with me around," Eli says wrinkling his nose before going inside.

"Do you guys need to get a room or what?" Anita jokes as they come up the walk. Stefano who is already in the house is probably going to go find Carlos, who should be back from Tim's by now.

"Not a bad idea," Les murmurs in my ear. Ranger rolls his eyes and smack's Lester's head as he walks by.

The next morning we're all up by seven. The ceremony starts at nine. I'm in the master bathroom working on curling my hair while Lester takes a shower. Tori runs in with the spring dress we picked out for her yesterday. It's white with pink flowers and a pretty pink ribbon that ties in the back.

"Mom, can you curl my hair too?" she asks with a smile as she sits on the counter.

"Sure sweetie, let me just finish my hair," I tell her as I finish up the last couple of curls. I have her stand up and I curl her hair. Les is out before I finish.

"Don't you look pretty Tori," he says with a smile. She beams up at her father.

"Thanks Daddy," she says sweetly. It makes me think back when I first realized that Les was wrapped around her little finger. He walks into the closet to get dressed as I finish up her hair.

"There you go. Why don't you go downstairs, I think Grandma is making breakfast. French toast I hear," I tell her. She nods her head and the curls bounce up and down. She runs out of the room. Les comes out of the closet with his black suit with a white shirt and green tie. I smile up at my handsome husband. He wraps an arm around me and leans down to kiss me.

"God, I love you Baby," he whispers kissing a trail down my throat. I moan. "It will be nineteen years next month." I wrap my arms around his neck.

"I can't believe it's been that long," I tell him, letting my hands tangle in his hair.

"Knock knock! Chelley Bean!" Eric says as he walks in. He takes a look at the two of us and rolls his eyes.

"Jeez, I'd tell you to get a room, but I see you have one." He grins at us and I blush.

"Is there something I can help you with Eric?" I ask a little impatient since he interrupted alone time with my husband. I don't have much of that these days.

"Yeah, Kenny was wondering if you had any hair spray. He forgot to pack his," Eric tells me.

"I sure do." I dig through my cabinet and toss him the can.

"Thanks. I'll see you two downstairs?" He says in a question. I raise an eyebrow.

"It's possible." He grins and walks out. I sigh and turn to look at my husband who's grinning and shaking his head.

"So...where were we?" I ask wrapping my arms back around him. He kisses me.

"Ewwww, why do you guys do this?" Steven asks from the door way. I roll my eyes.

"Doesn't anybody knock?" I raise an eyebrow at my son. He has the sense to look a tad sheepish.

"You don't like knowing I love your mother?" Les asks him. Steven shakes his head.

"Dad, can you help me tie my tie?" he wonders. I smile. Les nods and goes to explain it to him. I head to Eli's room. I knock on the door.

"Come in!" I walk in and he's getting his tie straightened. I lean on the door and sigh.

"You're all grown up," I say. I always see the five year old Eli not the grown up version.

"Mom," he sighs, silently asking me not to start. I walk up and give him a hug. I hold on for a while.

"You know I'll visit a lot. I'll come home for every holiday," he tells me.

"Things will change Eli. You'll meet a girl and suddenly be spending holidays with her. That will be okay. I just wonder how we got here so fast," I explain. He smiles.

"I know Mom. I'll always love you. You're the best Mom in the world," he lets me know. He presses a kiss on my cheek. I brush back his hair.

"Grandma's making French toast, you better get down there if you want some." He nods and then turns to look at the graduation gown hanging on his chair. I turn and go to check on Carlos. I knock on his door. He doesn't answer so I peek in. He's still in bed. I walk in.

"Honey, why aren't you up yet?" I ask my son going to sit next to him. He mumbles something I can't understand.

"What?" He lifts his head up a bit.

"I'm not going." I raise an eyebrow in question. Why wouldn't he be going?

"Why not?" I lay down next to him. He turns away.

"I don't want to," he tells me. I stroke his hair.

"What will Eli think? Don't you want to go support him?" I have a feeling he's upset that Eli will be leaving.

"He'll be fine. He'll be leaving soon anyways," Carlos answers looking back at me.

"Sweetie, Eli loves you and he would want you there," I inform him as I wrap my arms around him.

"But, he's leaving." I brush his hair back from his face and press a kiss on his forehead.

"He's not leaving until August and even then he'll come home for the holidays. You guys will be able to Skype and talk on the phone," I let him know. He sighs.

"I just don't want to miss him."

"I know Sweetie, he'll miss you too, but even if you don't go you'll still miss him." He nods.

"All right. I guess I could go." I stand up and he follows. He hugs me.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too. Now get ready, Grandma is making French toast." He nods and I walk out the door.

A hour later we're all piling into cars to get to the high school. Eli has already to applied to college and will be going to William and Marry in Virginia. It's pretty far away but close enough that it will be easy to get to. We take five cars to get everybody. Eli takes Carlos and the twins. Mom and Dad take Kenny and Eric. Valerie's family takes one car. Ranger's family takes another car. Les and I ride by ourselves. We get to the ceremony and Eli goes to sit with his class. We all pile in. Our mismatched family. We meet up with Naomi, Sebastian, and Gregory. It's a big day. I'm losing my baby. I hope I don't cry.

When they call his name I start crying. I couldn't help it. Les puts his arm around me and I cry into his chest. My oldest getting ready to go off to college. The whole family stands up and claps really loudly. I can tell Eli is blushing. Les and I leave a little early while they are still giving out diplomas so we can get the house ready. We are having the graduation party at our house.

Later that night Les and I lay in our bed. Everyone is asleep and we're exhausted from the long day.

"I can't believe he's going off to college," I say tears filling my eyes. He rubs him thumb across my hand.

"I can't believe it either. Seems like just yesterday we had found out you were pregnant for the first time," he recalls. "We had just found each other again and gotten married."

"It seems like it was just a dream or something that happened in another life," I whisper, my eyes drooping. He rests his head against mine.

"I know what you mean." We drift asleep looking back on something that had the biggest impact on our lives. It all worked out for the best. I have the most perfect family, even if they can get on my nerves sometimes. In the end we all love each other.

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**So, what did you think? Did I end it well? I hope you enjoyed reading this story. I appreciate every review! Thanks for taking the time. **


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